A Turn of Fate
by Seiker Hikaru
Summary: Sometimes all it takes for one's fate to change is the smallest of turns. The right person, in the right place, and at the right time. A small variance, someone else finding themselves taking on a fateful job, and another hand comes to grasp the sword of the Aegis. The past is also a tricky thing... and as it catches up, many an answer is given to the one who grasps it.
1. Chapter 1

_A Turn of Fate_

 **Chapter 1: Boy with Eyes like the Sky**

This world is an endless expanse of white. As far as the eyes can see, white like the clouds, rolling and shifting like waves. Stretching so far that the horizon of the sea and sky blend into one at their edges. As far as one could go in this world, this is the sight they would see, those rolling waves of clouds known to the people as the Cloudsea. But one thing did stand out. No matter where you could be amid this expanse of clouds, one object stood prominently on display from all sides. A massive tree that stretched skywards, up and up into the clouds, it's cast branches reaching far through the sky, and even in the brightness of noon, one could see the glittering lights at the top of this tree, the World Tree, the grandest sight in this world known as Alrest.

Amid these drifting clouds of white, what seemed to be a small, rocky island poked out amid the expanse, attached to this island was a crane, it's lift sent down, the line heading to the depths of the sea, beneath the rolling white and into the water-like depths. Further down past that line was a figure sinking lower.

Their body was covered from head to toe in a light diving suit, as opposed to the often heavier suits employed by others like them, even lacking in a domed helmet, instead opting for tight fit hood that covered all on their head except for the diving goggles and covering rebreather on their face.

Below them was a long since sunk creature. The light shining from their hood spot onto an old, rusted crate stuck to the stone creature. From the belt on their waist, the diver pulled out a hook device bearing the shape of a handgun, using that to reel close to the crate, small spikes popping from their boots and digging into the stone so they could close the small gap. They attached a floater device to the side of the crate, a turn of the latch on it causing the device to pop open into a balloon.

Jumping from the stone-like surface to use the crate as a quick lift, the diver looked up to the hook above as they neared it, then grasping the hook and attaching the cargo to it once the gap was cleared. Raising to the mesh platform of the crane, the diver flipped the switch to draw it back up while turning off the lights on their hood, sitting down on the mesh as it rose, and a brief burst of bubbles from their rebreather gave way to the sigh they gave.

Once the crane had lifted back above the waves, the diver hopped from the platform and to the "island", shaking off a bit to get the flecks of water free from their jacket as a press to its side had it go from tightly fit on their slender frame to loose and free. The sweeping back of the hood revealed the diver's hair to be a bright shade of emerald green, the long, loose strands falling down to his waist at the longest before being pulled back into a thin tail, while the previously held back fringe fell forward as he removed his goggles and rebreather, the goggles being pulled down to hang around his neck.

The diver's features were thin, and his skin pale as snow, no doubt helped by all the time spent under the waves, and brushing his bangs back as he opened his eyes revealed the orbs to be as bright a blue as the sky. If one were to guess his age, he couldn't have been any older than eighteen.

"I _told_ Rex we needed a new depth probe." The diver's voice was light and carefree as he tapped his boot on the crate, then looking to some equipment on the side near the crane, sighing again and putting a hand behind his head. "The ping was off 150 peds to the east. And with the state it's in there's no way I'm fixing it this time!"

As he spoke, the diver shed the heavier parts of his gear to leave himself in lighter clothes consisting of the opened, loose diving jacket colored a dark blue, emerald green stripes on the sleeves, while below that was a dark shirt that also flowed loosely on his frame. The bandolier for his smaller bits of gear, such as the rebreather and achor-gun, sat at his waist, hooked to the grey cargo pants he wore, a red stretch of cloth under the belt, and a tap of his foot adjusted the lighter boots he'd fit on instead of the diving boots. The heavier gloves of the diving gear were also switched for fingerless ones the same grey as his pants, and notably, at the teenager's neck hung a silver pendant bearing an ornate sigil.

"And normally you're so good at fixing anything you get your hands on, Vaios. If you say something can't be fixed, then it truly must be time to replace it." The voice of an elderly man sounded from somewhere, Vaios shrugging as he went to the metal hut nearby, picking up a crowbar leaned against the chest just outside of it. "And what about the treasure? Is it to your expectations?"

"Well I'm not sure what's in the thing, but it was plenty solid. Didn't need to reinforce it one bit to draw it up." Vaios sauntered back to the crate, tapping it twice with a fist to listen for if it was hollow or not. He didn't want to pry the thing open to find out he'd pulled up an empty haul after all. "So even with some of the labor costs there'll be a good payout… I think."

"So good at fixing near anything you get your hands on and capable of running a structural analysis in minutes, yet numbers are always a question for you." As the elderly man's voice spoke again, the "island" rumbled a bit, a long neck covered in a grassy mane rising up into the air, ending to a craggy head of what one could only call a dragon, bearing blue horns with one longer forehead protrusions the same stony grey as the rest of his body, craning to look down at Vaios as the young man turned while tapping the crowbar into one palm.

"Because numbers are always variable, Azurda." Vaios said, tapping the metal crate once more as he looked it over, then stepping back and readying to swing the crowbar. "I may be in the salvaging business to find neat treasure, but..!" and the crowbar gouged into a seam with a loud clang once Vaios swung, "A little business sense goes a long way!"

With a loud pull before he then slammed the crowbar, the box burst open, but rather than a pile of salvaged goods, Vaios was instead immediately met by a man-sized crustacean with four legs, a long body, and sizable claws, and the thing was _certainly_ mad to have had it's hiding place pried open.

"What in the… how'd a King Crustip fit inside of _that?!_ Hehehe, sorry to disturb ya' big guy, but business is business!" Vaios' playful taunting of the sea creature was met with it leaping at him, Vaios jumping back with an easy roll in the air, landing back near the hut.

"Vaios!" Azurda shouted, Vaios chuckling as he tossed the crowbar aside.

"Ah don't worry about me!" Vaios hopped back and into the hut, reaching to the right side and grabbing a single edged longsword hanging on the wall, taking a clearly practiced stance with the sword held one handed at his right and low, "Besides, now I know what lunch is gonna be!"

Vaios took the initiative in striking back, stepping around the crustip quickly as it snapped at him, an attempted stab with his sword bringing it to glance off of its shell, but even then the shell was cut, if shallowly. Surprisingly for it's size, the sea creature was able to wheel around to try and strike again, but it's target was faster, Vaios taking the chance opening and moving past the struck out claw, gripping his sword in both hands and thrusting it forward. A clean _schlick_ sounded as the blade drove through the crustip's underbelly, Vaios pulling the blade out and swiping it clean of the green blood sticking to it as the crustip collapsed to the ground.

"Hah, quick and clean, as always!" Vaios turned to Azurda as the beast looked back to him, giving a peace sign with his left hand. "Now, let's get to eating!"

Setting the sword aside and pulling out a brazier to get cooking, Vaios pulled up a folded seat as he hacked off one of the crustips claws and then set it to the burning brazier, taking his seat while also pulling out a whetstone and getting to sharpening his blade. As he did so, he looked off to the distance, to the World Tree afar at the center of this sea of clouds… and when he did, images flashed in his mind.

Images of a tower that stretched further than the clouds, of a city with buildings that despite their massive height were dwarfed by this tower. Of a land of endless earth and seas even bluer than the sky above… images that to him, made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

"Rhadamanthus…" A word that equally made no sense to Vaios at the moment, but it came along with those images. The thing was, Vaios was someone who lacked memories of his life. Not to say this was recent, more precisely anything since before the time he was thirteen (seemingly) was completely lost to the void. He'd been found at that age on the shores of a village he was now far, far away from, that he hadn't even seen in years, hunting for these memories he had lost, attempting to make sense of these senseless images and words in his mind as well.

It was enough to make him sigh each time. Even after years of digging through salvage, not a clue had come to him, and nobody could tell him a thing, for he dared not tell anybody of these images and dreams he had lest he get laughed off. Who'd even believe him about that in this world? It was laughable to think about… a world not trod by creatures like Azurda, the Titans, the living continents and islands who gave the people of Alrest the land which they lived on.

"Huh… hey Azurda, how much stock do ya' actually put into the legends about the World Tree?" Vaios had gotten to rummaging through the crate now, sifting through the items for anything of value he could sell, and potentially anything he'd keep for himself.

"Hmmm? Still superstitious about all that are we?" Azurda asked, giving a pleased rumble thanks to the heat of the brazier.

"How could I not be?" Vaios answered, tossing items to sell into a bucket near him. "Let's see again… how did it go? Ah right… that long ago, people lived up in the World Tree, in the paradise called Elysium with the Architect. But then one day, for reasons nobody knows or can explain, mankind was cast down from Elysium and to Alrest below, be it ticking out the Architect or something else."

"Sounds about right so far." Azurda noted, Vaios humming as he tapped what seemed to be _some_ kind of device, adding it to the "sell" bucket and then shutting the crate.

"And of all things, not knowing how mankind lived in Alrest before then, the deity that cast them out took pity on them, and sent down his servants, the Titans, to help them. The survivors settled on the Titans, and there's been harmony ever since." Vaios tossed the bucker of items into the nearby chest, then picking up his sword again, leveling it's edge so that the sun would bounce off the metal, then glancing over at Azurda. "That sound right to you, or am I the only one in Alrest convinced it's blather Indol's been shouting?"

"Just try to be careful who you say those things around when we stop at Argentum." Azurda said, Vaios more focused on the smell now in the air from the roasted food. "Ahhhh… that brazier does my weary old bones much good…"

"Want me to move it a bit?"

"No, leave it there, it's fine-a-ahhh…"

"Right on."

Vaios picked up the claw and cracked the shell with a well-placed smack of his knuckles, licking his lips clear as a pleasant scent drifted out from the cracked shell before digging in. Though the simple lunchtime was interrupted by a bellowing from the distance, Vaios looking over to the source as he drew a thumb over his lips. Azurda also followed the sound, both human and Titan showing forlorn expressions at hearing it.

Off in the distance, a Titan, big enough that even at the distance they were at, Vaios could easily make out it's general features, breached above the cloudsea, but only for a few precious moments as it's bellows echoed across. Just as quickly as it had risen, the Titan fell back below the waves, the impact it had enough to cause Azurda to rock for a few moments.

"Damn… another one." Vaios muttered, a hand behind his head. "Been happening a lot lately… it's getting uncomfortable to see."

"Mm… More so than before." Azurda said, Vaios giving a dejected sigh.

"Think anyone was still living on it?"

"It seems not. And if there had been, they would have all left by now."

"Makes sense." Vaios sat down as he responded simply. This was the problem now plaguing Alrest. The Titans the people relied on for the land they lived on, were in short, dying out. The large kingdoms on the biggest Titans were seeing more and more refugees from smaller Titans each day with every new one that sank below the clouds and to the seabed below. "Hey Azurda, y'think the same thing will happen to Fonsett Village one of these days? The Titans that make up the Archipelago are pretty old…"

"It wouldn't today or tomorrow, but, one of these days, yes, it will be gone." Azurda answered, craning his neck to look right at Vaios as he stayed quiet. "Same with me. That's just how it goes with us Titans. I'm rather old myself you know? I wouldn't go forgetting that. There's no way around this cycle."

"It just feels… odd." Vaios muttered, laying down to stare at the clear blue above. "If this keeps up there'll be nowhere left to live and yet… part of me feels like this isn't how it should be. I understand Titans also have their life cycle, but if that's the case, then wouldn't there be new Titans to take the place of the old ones as well? If the Architect really did send you guys to help us, wouldn't he have made sure the cycle was sustainable?"

"If you ascribe to the legends anyway." Azurda said, looking off to the World Tree as Vaios also did when he sat up. "Mind you, I was born here on Alrest. As for my ancestors, who could say where they were born?"

"That's the point then isn't it? You were born here on Alrest, and if so, shouldn't new Titans be born the same way too? It's like… I dunno, like something is messing with the life cycle Titans have." Vaios flopped back down onto his back again, giving a heavy sigh. "This is what I get for being inquisitive… still, what if it does exist? Elysium, and the Architect? If so… then there should be a way to save Alrest, or at least make sure the people have a place to go when the Titans are gone. Not that I put much faith in legends… still, gotta have hope in something I suppose."

"Quite the reluctant answer to that idea you have there." Azurda teased, Vaios sighing again.

"I like actual results and data, not speculation and superstitions… there's no solid evidence, so I'll keep questioning it until proven otherwise." Said the sky-eyed boy, Azurda giving a hum.

"A land of plenty, atop the World Tree… if such a place did exist, perhaps we could all live in peace, with no need for fighting." Azurda noted, Vaios giving a thoughtful drone as he sat back up.

"Certainly sounds nice… you've always gotta wonder what it'll take to make people set aside their differences and stop fighting over petty things." Vaios stood up and stretched his arms, then clapping his hands together. "Alright, time to get back to business. The haul we've got should be good for today methinks. Time to head on back to Argentum yeah?"

"You're planning on selling it now? It's getting toward my bedtime." Azurda's voice was playful, Vaios druly chucking with an equally dry grin to match his lidded eyes,

"Funny one gramps. You're old but ya' ain't that old. A little swim'll do those old bones good! I'll keep the brazier on for ya' on the way. So don't go playin' lazy old man on me when we've still got daylight to burn!"

"Kids these days… no respect, I swear…"

* * *

The Argentum Trade Guild, the Nopon run center of commerce in Alrest, its main Titan with which the city-ship that made up the center of the, like a massive balloon with the ship it pulled attached by heavy lines, this singular Titan known as Goldmouth. Not just a trade center, but also a travel hub, smaller, similar looking Titans carried ferry ships that take travelers to and from the other Titans of Alrest, while other structures like salvager ships docked at the city-ship's port.

Azurda drifted up to one of the available docks of the port side of the city, Vaios hopping down from his Titan caretaker and to the steady dock, a pack of the salvage he intended to sell slung over a shoulder, his sword stuck into a sheathe hanging off the back of his belt.

"Whoa whoa, what's that over there?!" What _immediately_ caught Vaios' attention as he scanned around was the large, black ship he could see a few docks over. Unlike most ships he was familiar with, there was no sign of any Titan pulling it, or as was the case with some types, built _into_ the ship. "Oh ho ho, I have _got_ to get a closer look at that thing!"

"Well if it isn't Vaios!" Came the voice of a man, the dock-hand approaching Vaios as he wheeled around from eyeing the black ship. "How's business?"

"Been good so far, wouldn't be here if it wasn't. Think I've got some good pieces to boot." Vaios showed the pack he had, the sound of the bits and bobbles jingling nicely from it. "And we can leave the unloading of the rest once I'm done negotiating."

"Sounds good. Mooring is 15 gold per half-day." The dock-hand said, Vaios reaching into his jacket and tossing a few pieces to the man, "Thank you! You're a lot more mindful with you're cash then Rex is when he's here."

"I keep tellin' him to keep extra money on hand for things like this. Kid never listens to me. Either way, I'm off!" Vaios trotted off with a skip, and as he headed off the dock, he took the immediate chance to take a closer look at the black ship, whistling as he looked over it from prow to stern. From here now he could see the ornate gold ornamentation of the prow, and just how massive it truly was. "Damn, that's impressive for a non-Titan ship. It's definitely not Ardanian, so I wonder who built it? Ahhh man, I wanna take an even closer look but that'd just be rude!"

Groaning to himself due to the gear-head he was _begging_ to look at such a wonder of engineering, Vaios sucked it down and headed into the Goldmouth ship. Greeting him was the familiarly bustling bazaar he'd become so well acquainted with since he became a salvager, the various stalls mainly run by the Nopon staff, the small, furry creatures chattering about in their stilted dialects with the various customers. There were also a number of people wandering about in hardsuits who Vaios greeted and was greeted by as he approached a central desk at the bazaar, other salvagers like him, likely on down time from their own ventures out.

"So… how much am I gonna get from this haul hmm?" Vaios hefted the pack a bit as he approached the desk, the well dressed Nopon at it looking up from his papers and to the young salvager. "Yo!"

 _A few minutes later…_

"WHAT?! That's it?!" Vaios was immediately left aghast as what the teller told him was coming in was _not_ what he'd been hoping for. Sure it was still turning a profit for him but at the least he was hoping he wouldn't be left with a tight budget… again.

"Is life, meh!" Said the Nopon. "Still more than I give to non-friend. If you bring military supplies, then you get good price. Ceasefire between Mor Ardain and Uraya not keep for much longer, methinks. So weaponry is hot item."

"Really now?" Vaios followed the teller's eyes as the Nopon looked over, coming to view a group of soldiers in dark armor, soldiers of Mor Ardain, one of the largest and more prominent Titans in Alrest. To say there was peace between them and Uraya, another prominent Titan kingdom, was to take one massive stretch, really only kept in check because the Ardainian emperor has more of a mind for peace than his advisors and generals, at least from what Vaios has heard.

"Well, what friend think? I make it worth your while!" said the teller, Vaios sighing as he put a hand behind his head.

"Look, while I'm not exactly against getting paid like that, I'm not as black-and-white thinking as someone like Rex, but, honestly speaking I'm not sure how much weaponry that's salvage would even go for. Most of that stuff's been in the cloudsea for who knows how long, who'd know if it'd even work well?" Vaios said, the teller giving a nod. "But I guess I can give it some thought… though I don't intend to take sides."

"Ah, choice! Vaios good salvager, will help make pretty penny no doubt." The teller remarked, Vaios sighing.

"I swear I'm becoming as much of a penny pincher as a Nopon."

"Anyhoo, where we were?"

"Ugh. I'll take your offer. 200 now, and you know what to do with the rest."

"Okie-doodles! Sending monies to Corinne of Fonsett Village. Is right?"

"Yeup." Vaios nodded, the Nopon giving a chuckle.

"Is beautiful thing! Sending money home at such young age. I touched!"

"I'm not that young, I'm eighteen." Vaios snarked, the Nopon chuckling in response.

"Wish my dum-dum littlepon did the same." At _that_ remark, the smaller Nopon behind the teller glanced back _ever_ so briefly, Vaios snickering.

"Well Azurda doesn't charge rent. Alright, I'm off!"

"Take care!"

As Vaios left so that he could collect some supplies, coming down the way was another Nopon followed by two men in suits, all of them dressed in black, and it was the Nopon who Vaios recognized more.

"Vaios, good to see you!" Said the Nopon, his voice rather deep compared to most of his kind,

"Pupunin, been a while." Vaios greeted, Pupunin nodding.

"Vaios looking high-spirits! Ah, no, how say… Ah, yes, peppy!" said Pupunin, Vaios chuckling.

"I've had worse days. So, what's up? New job?" Vaios folded his arms as he asked that, the Nopon in black nodding to him.

"Something like that." Pupunin replied, putting his stubby arms at his waist… or at least where Vaios thought it would be. Hard to tell with Nopon due to their rotund bodies. "Ah, by the way… Vaios come from Fonsett Village in Leftherian Archipelago, yes?"

"That's right. Why d'ya ask?"

"You should go straight to boardroom of Chairman!"

"Eh?"

"Chairman Bana ask for Vaios by name!"

"Eh? Eh? EHHHHH?! Why would the Chairman be asking for me?!" Vaios was appropriately taken aback by this. If one got called for something by the chairman it _had_ to mean it was a big deal… but then there came a suspicion to it as well. Why dud Pupunin ask him if he was Leftherian specifically? Sounded weird to ask about that and _then_ tell them the chairman's asking for them. "Uh well, alright, I'll be up there soon as I can."

"Good to know. Have good day." Pupunin left with that, Vaios putting a hand on his chin as he looked up to where he knew the chairman's boardroom was a few levels up.

"Well, no point mulling on it I guess." Vaios shrugged to himself before carrying on. Past the stalls and up a few flights of stairs, and the office was right there and open to him. At the desk located at the end of the room was a truly _massive_ Nopon, who in what was truly uncommon for this kind, was larger than most humans ever got. Richly decorated and elevated by the desk, the large Nopon looked down to Vaios, one of his "wings" curling a slender mustached.

"Thank you for accepting summons! I Bana, Chairman of Argentum Trade Guild." Greeted the Nopon, Vaios nodding, awkwardly putting an arm behind his head, still rather taken aback by all of this.

"P-Pleased to meet you." Vaios said, looking around the room.

"Me hear from Pupunin that friend is salvager of some renown. That being case, I have teensy weensy thing to ask of Vaios!"

"Shit, it is a job!" Vaios reeled back a bit. Even if "teensy weensy" was used, this _had_ to be big.

"Reward is 100,000 gold!"

"EHHHH?!"

"Friend hear right! Actually, that just the advanced. Another 100,000 provided upon completing job." Bana stretched his wings out as he spoke, Vaios looking like he was processing all of this.

"Advanced?! So then… 200,000 gold in total… this sounds too good to be true!" Vaios felt like he'd just had one hell of an anvil drop down on his head from hearing that. Who the hell was providing this job for it to come through the chairman _and_ come with a 100 grand advanced payment?! "Who uh… ahem, who's the job giver? Some… some Ardanian noble or something? Though uh… ahem, what are the details of the job anyway? It sounds great and all but, I don't wanna jump feet first into shallow water ya' know?"

"Understandable." Bana said. "But first off, you really have skills for this kind of job?"

"Hehe, I'm pretty confident in my salvaging skills." Vaios chuckled as he folded his arms, Bana humming.

"Meh, if you say. Here, crew will explain. Bring them in." Bana turned to a woman near a large pair of doors, who nodded and threw them open, entering the room beyond it. Vaios' eyes widened a bit as five individuals came out, two of them though, inhuman in the easiest of terms. The first of the group was a short, grey-haired, cat-looking girl Vaios could easily recognize as someone from Gormott, dressed in yellow and white clothing, a pair of chakrams at her hips, and following after her a large feline even bigger than she was. After he was a tall man in dark armor, with spiked up black hair and dark eyes that made _something_ in him think… it almost felt like he somehow knew the man's face. Following that man was an even taller creature he couldn't put any actual words too besides being lizardlike.

And then there was one more. A man in white, with long silver hair and wearing a horned mask, icy blue eyes peering out from it and right at him. Vaios didn't know why or how… but looking at the man made him _see_ things. Flashes in his mind like those other times, and to his confusion, these flashes had that man in white in them… and they felt awfully familiar to him.

"Tch, that's weird." Vaios muttered to himself, but, he also definitely knew what the other two people were. "Drivers and Blades? Huh, then this job has _got_ to be a big one."

Blades. Beings Vaios knew plenty about but had never dared actually attempt to get one of his own. Beings who were as much weapon as they were a sentient partner, and the people who could use their powers were called Drivers. He knew that the feline creature and the lizard-man were Blades not just from their abnormal shapes, but also from the parts of their bodies, be it clothing or natural, that glowed a shade of bright blue.

Blades were definitely an interesting thing to Vaios. Born of items called Core Crystals, and being able to resonate with one was a rare thing. People who couldn't were either left horribly injured, or at the worst killed by the attempt at doing so. Reasons like that are why, despite having more than once fished up Core Crystals during his salvaging, Vaios had never taken the chance to actually try his hand at it. He'd rather not take the risk involved, considering he had something of a streak for bad luck at times. Though for as much as he knew about the basics of Blades, there was as much about them he was totally clueless of… but he'd have to have been living under a rock _not_ to know those basics.

"So… there's something we want you to haul up." The masked man spoke, Vaios turning to him. "There were some current shifts. It showed up in an uncharted area. But, it's a long down."

"Huh, sounds like a good challenge." Vaois replied, folding his arms. But, he still couldn't shake off that weird feeling… had he met this man somewhere before, or was he just thinking of something weird?

"Bana offered to assemble team of veterans for this job." Said Bana, drawing the attention back to him. "But this crew very picky. They want small, elite team, and only from Leftheria. That when Bana have stroke of genius! Should hire Vaios or Rex! Depending on who available. And you first to arrive."

"Really? Heh, well I can't say you made a bad choice Chairman." Vaios said, a chuckle to his voice… that immediately turned into a flat expression when he heard the Gormotti girl laughing, the girl downright in stitches as Vaios looked at her with a raised brow.

"Are ya' sure this one's from Leftheria?" The gormotti girl said, Vaios looking at her with a raised brow. "He sure don't sound like it... not to mention he's just a kid."

"Oh ho hoooo, you're the catty one huh? If I'm a kid then how old are you short stack? You've gotta be younger than I am." Vaios replied with his own sarcastic remark, his expression just as unamused as his tone.

"At least I wouldn't wet myself at the promise of a measly hundred grand." The girl sniped in reply, Vaios letting out a sarcastic laugh.

"Sounds to me like you're trying to start something shrimp!" Vaios snapped, his step forward halting when the girl's blade got between them, "What?"

"Vaois, was it?" The Blade asked, Vaios nodding. "I implore you to excuse my lady's discourtesy." The Blade bowed his head at that, Vaios blinking his eyes a few times as he looked shocked by this development. This was all moving way too fast for him.

"Dromarch! What have I told you about speaking for me?!" The Gormotti snapped, "Shut your-"

"Drop it, Nia." The dark-haired man spoke, looking at Vaios as he folded his arms. "Though I do see your point. In that case… it should be easy enough to make sure."

Vaios lept back as the man suddenly charged him while drawing the weapon at his side, Vaios weaving back from the rapid slashes from the energy blade, one dodge coming with Vaios drawing his sword and slamming it into the other weapon, deflecting the slash while the following exchange ended with the two locking weapons, Vaios letting out a growl as the man smirked at him. Something about that face… it was just irking something in him. It sent a chill up Vaios back when those dark eyes looked down at him.

"The hell is this about?!" Vaios snapped as he jumped back when the man broke the lock, keeping his stance even when his opponent was standing casually.

"Well well… that's familiar." The man hummed as he looked Vaios over while the blade of his weapon vanished, and Nia looked aghast at what had just happened.

"Malos! What good is it, beating someone up?" Nia shouted, Malos scoffing.

"You said it yourself didn't you? What if the kid's not up to it?" Malos stated, Nia gritting her teeth.

"I said nothing of the sort!"

"You did think it though, right?" Malos replied, looking from Nia then back at Vaios, who'd only relaxed his stance ever so slightly. "And besides, now we know. You'll do right enough. Though you don't look like a Driver. Where'd you learn those Arts?"

"Picked up a thing or two from the old coot who raised me." Vaios answered. "His idea of play time was to start snapping at me."

"Well you've got skills, I'll give you that. I'd go so far as to say you're a natural." Malos said, a hand on a hip. "Guts too. Kid, you better work hard."

Vaios finally relaxed once the group started leaving, putting his sword across his shoulders, looking at Nia as she lingered for a moment and sighed before leaving herself. He had to wonder what that was all about, and he still couldn't shake that bad feeling he'd gotten from Malos… something in him just didn't feel right about that guy.

"Meh-meh-meh! Friends are such rowdy bunch!" Bana said, Vaios turning around to look at the large Nopon as he slid his sword back into it's sheathe. The Nopon then reached behind him and slapped a large sack onto the desk, Vaios hearing the coins jingling in it. "Here is advance."

"Thanks for that." Vaios caught the purse when Bana then tossed it at him, the weight of it causing his hand to lurch a bit.

"Use to buy what gear you need, then go to dock on starboard." Bana said, pointing off to the mentioned side. "Bana has arranged excellent vessel for you there!"

"Got it." Vaios tied the purse to his belt as he turned to leave, and once he was out of the office, he leaned on the railing and overlooked the bazaar, putting a hand on his chin as he hummed. "Well, there's gonna be plenty of prep to do… but I should check in on Azurda first off. He'd give me absolute hell if I took off on some ship without telling him about it."

"Heyyy! Vaios!" Looking down when he heard the call, a grin came to Vaios's face as from below, a familiar face greeted him. A young teenager with brown hair and golden eyes, decked out in a blue colored salvaging suit currently worn light.

"Rex! You're back from your own expedition huh?" Vaios called out as he started moving down, Rex chuckling as his elder teenager met him below, the two exchanging a high five as a greeting. "So how'd it go working with an actual crew again huh?"

"Wasn't so bad. Made a few new friends along the way. How 'bout you? You and Gramps find anything good?" Rex and Vaios started walking along, Vaios giving a hum as he pocketed his hands.

"A few things, though the payout wasn't so good. With the tension ramping up between Mor Ardain and Uraya, the best deals are on military gear and Core Crystals." Notably, if one listened to the two, despite the fact Vaios and Rex were both Leftherians (or at least Vaios was pretty sure he was one), they had differing accents to their speech patterns. Rex had the typical accent of a Leftherian, while Vaios' accent was a lot more neutral… in fact it was the same accent both Malos and the masked man, who Vaios could only assume was named Jin based on what he'd heard earlier, spoke with.

"Really? You're not thinking about actually dealing in some of that now are you?" Rex's question got Vaios to stop, the light-green haired young man sighing.

"I put some thought into it at the least. But, I don't plan on much with it." Vaios answered, Rex folding his arms.

"Well I suppose whatever floats your boat. Speaking of, did you see that black ship on the port docks? Marvelous thing ain't it?" Rex looked about as excited as Vaios had been when he saw the thing, Vaios chuckling as the two young salvagers took a seat at a bench.

"Of course I did. Saw it not long after Azurda and I got here. Man I wanna take a closer look! It's a non-Titan ship so I wonder what makes it tick." Vaios said, Rex chuckling at how anxious Vaios looked about the idea. "Well, before then, I need to go tell Azurda something. Believe this one Rex, but _I_ just got a job from the chairman!"

"Say what now? Are you serious?" Rex shot to his feet as Vaios chuckled, the boy giving a whistle. "Damn impressive. Does it have to do with the people who have that black ship? Garram told me it was owned by some associates of the Chairman's."

"Likely. I met a crew with a couple of Drivers when I got the job. Would be surprising if that ship is theirs." Vaios said, "But as for the job, guess how much the advance payment was!"

"A grand?"

"Try a hundred."

"A hun-you're bloody kidding me!"

"Nope! Got it all right here!" Vaios tapped the new coin purse he had, Rex's mouth agape. "And even better, once the job is down, that'll be another 100,000 to go with it."

"For real? This has gotta be some big deal then! How big is the crew for this job?" Rex asked, Vaios folding his arms, the two now making it out to the portside docks.

"Not that big apparently. Furthermore, they asked specifically for Leftherians. Kind of a strange request if you ask me."

"A small salvaging crew that's exclusively Leftherian? Hmm… man with such a good reward you really do have to wonder why they'd make such a specific request if it's that big."

"I'm also wondering who the heck is funding this bunch." Vaios added. "Considering they hired Drivers and all that."

"Speaking of, what kind of Blades did those Drivers even have?"

"Hmm… well there was only two but, one of them was a Gormotti girl with some kind of big cat, and the other was a man who's Blade was some lizard-man-thing. Gotta be Rare types." Vaios added, Rex giving a whistle.

"Ah man, now I want in on this. But, guess you got here first, so the job's all yours. Try to bring me back something from it will ya?"

"Ahahaha, I'll see if there's any keepers on whatever we find." Rex pumped a fist at that, the two now approaching Azurda where he'd stayed moored, Vaios giving a wave to the old Titan. "Hey Azurda! I'm back with a new job under my belt too!"

"Hey there Gramps, been a while!" Rex greeted the Titan too, Azurda turning to face the two boys.

"Ah Rex, good to see you're back from the expedition. And Vaios, what kind of job is this?" Azurda asked, and taking a few moments, Vaios retold the details he did know so far… clearly _not_ to the approval of the old Titan from his expression once Vaios wrapped up.

"… and that's the full of it. I should be back in a day or two. Why don't ya' take it easy?" Vaios said, Rex now mulling over those details now that he knew the full picture.

"That does not sound like "the full of it" in the least!" Azurda said, Vaios wincing a bit. "Why would you take a job you know nothing about?"

"Well see, I did ask, but the people giving the job were kind of vague about it." Vaios answered. "What I do know is, it's some big object that's deep down in an uncharted area. They need a whole team to get it up, so it's gotta be pretty big. Why else would the reward for it be so large? Also it came straight from the Chairman, what more reason do I need?"

"Yeah Vaios has got a point Gramps. From what he said it seems like those folks've been looking for this thing for a while. Ain't that all you really need to know for a job?" Rex added, Azurda sighing. "I'll hold down the fort for ya' Vaios! Once you get back, let's head out, 'cause I got a map for a new area we can explore."

"Heh, nice. Alright, I'm off! See you guys later!" Vaios turned and ran off before anything else could be said.

"H-Hey! Come back here! Wait a moment, Vaios!" Azurda sighed as Vaios was already out of sight, Rex looking to the Titan.

"What Gramps, worried about something?"

"Ugh, it's nothing… he should be fine." Azurda looked over and to the black ship, giving a low rumble. "But if it's them… seems Vaios's past is finally catching up to him."

* * *

"Alright so… more or less having Gramps' permission, let's get some prep done." Vaios hummed as he looked around the bazaar, snapping his fingers. "Ah! Shynini should have that new deep-dive vest I asked about before. I'll actually need to bust out more than just my goggles and rebreather for this one anyway."

Vaios palmed at the goggles hanging from his neck, veering off towards the starboard side of the bazaar, and to the stalls near the stairway that led up to Bana's boardroom. At a stall covered both with various accessories and Salvager gear, a Nopon hopped down from a stool as he saw Vaios approaching.

"Ah, friend Vaios! Good to be seeing!" The Nopon, Shynini, greeted, Vaios giving a wave.

"Hey there Shynini. You still got that thing we talked about? I need some additions to my hard suit for an up and coming deep dive." Vaios said, Shynini nodding.

"Vaios finally save up enough money to purchase?"

"That and _so_ much more." Vaios chuckled as he folded his arms. "So, can I get a look at it?"

"Of course of course! Here here, Abyss Vest accessory! Perfect for deep dive venture!" Shynini wheeled out the item, Vaios giving the hard suit piece a good look over, then nodding.

"Alright, that'll be good, how much?"

"5,000 G!"

"Not bad."

Vaios reached into the coin purse and tossed the needed amount to the Nopon, Shynini pocketing the coin and giving a chuckle.

"Thank you! Why Vaios have so much money? Pull up some amazing salvage?"

"Actually got a job from the Chairman. Got 100,000 as an advance payment." Vaios answered, Shynini's "wings" fluttering up in surprise.

"Wow, that quite impressive."

"Yeah but it's also in uncharted waters. It's why I wanted something like this. Gotta be prepared y'know?" Vaios tapped the best as he said so, pulling it off the stand and shouldering it. "Either way, thanks Shynini!"

"Of course! That accessory sure to protect Vaios! Shynini guarantee. Good luck!"

Vaios waved back at the Nopon as he trotted off, leaving the bazaar for the starboard docks, though stopping dead before leaving, giving a hum.

"Hmmm… before I leave though, let's go nab something to eat. I just realized I'm freaking starving... and since it's tomorrow… I'll rest at the inn. Will also give me time to get things in order." Vaios nodded to himself at the thought and turned off again. Tomorrow was going be to one busy day.

* * *

That next day, Vaios was out on the portside dock, munching on some food he'd picked up from one of the stalls. He looked around for the ship that had to be the one Bana had set up for this, and he gave an impressed whistle as he looked over the large Titan ship moored to it, putting a hand on his hip as he looked it up and over.

"Ni-ice! Bana pulled out the Maelstrom for this job eh? Now I _know_ this job has gotta be serious."

"Gawking at a boat? What are you, twelve?"

"Ahahahaa, funny." Vaios turned around when he heard Nia, the Gormotti girl giving him a smug smirk. "Laugh all ya' want, I happen to be the type who appreciates fine works of engineering."

"Ya' don't close your mouth soon your gonna swallow a fly." Nia replied, Vaios shaking his head, looking down and smirking when he saw Nia standing right between some mooring lines.

"Might wanna watch where you're standing there kid. Don't move, and when we take off those lines are gonna take your legs with it." Vaios's playful tone despite the remark still earned him Nia jumping back in surprise. "Haha! Fell for it!"

"Why you little-"

"Ohh? Whose mouth is hanging open now?" Vaios sniped, his smug look falling a bit when he looked off and saw Jin and Malos staring from a short ways off, that uneasy feeling coming back to him. Why couldn't he shake it off? That subsided though, for now, when another salvager approached him.

"Vaios, we're heading out. No one is seeing you off?" The man asked, Vaios shaking his head. "You got night watch. Till then, rest up inside."

"Aye aye. See ya later." Vaios have a wave as he sauntered off and boarded the ship, going to find a spot to watch things as everyone else boarded, leaning back on the railing of the overlook as the ship pulled off into the expanses of the cloudsea. Once things were well away and the ship was adrift on the open sea, Vaios took the time to head back down into the hold, giving a hum as he looked around, spotting Nia and Dromarch below amid the crowd of people. "Hmm… maybe I should take some time to these clients we've got. Would do me good to know more about them. I'll have to go see Monell after that. Should report in before I go to rest up before night watch."

First up, Nia, who he decided to mess with a bit by downright dropping in behind the Gormotti.

"You're being pretty quiet. Seasick?" Vaios teased, Nia's ears going flat as she glared at him.

"'Course I'm not seasick! I'm just… not used to ships with this many salvagers on it is all." Nia said, Vaios chuckling. "What? What's so funny?"

"If you're not okay with it now then you're gonna _hate_ what comes at night. Ain't no party like a salvager party." Vaios remarked, Nia shoving him off of the barrel he was sitting on, "WAGH!"

"Oh shove off. I can handle myself just fine." Nia snapped, Vaios snickering as he put a hand behind his head.

"Sure sure. So… what's the deal with you Dromarch?" Vaios turned to the Blade, his Driver huffing as she went elsewhere.

"I'm simply milady's loyal aid. What of you Master Vaios? Are you ready to begin salvaging?" Dromach asked, Vaios nodding as he stood up straight.

"Course I am. I do this for a living after all." He replied, the Blade nodding.

"Good. Let us all work together to make this mission a success."

"Of course… so hey, do you know any of the finer details about this, or is that some trade secret in your group? Like, I dunno, do you know what it is we're pulling up?" Vaios's question got Dromarch to hum, the Blade giving a short breath.

"I don't know much myself honestly. I do know however, that the object they want this crew to pull up is a derelict ship. Apparently it's also rather large." Dromarch said, Vaios folding his arms as he started thinking about that.

"A large derelict ship huh? Alright, good to know. Thanks Dromarch." The Blade nodded to Vaios as he then left to the upper deck. While there, at one of the view areas, on his lonesome was Jin. Vaios was slow in his approach of the masked man. "Uhm… hi there."

"…" The silent gaze from Jin made Vaios shudder a bit… and again that weird feeling he was getting. Why did this man seem familiar to him? "That pendant you have, do you know where it's from?"

"Hm? This? I uh… have been trying to find that out, actually." Vaios palmed at the silver item around his neck, turning it and viewing an emblem engraved into it, a flame shaped symbol. "I've had it with me since I washed up at Leftheria… I'm hoping I can find out where it's actually from by salvaging."

"So, you're _not_ Leftherian? It would explain the accent."

"What? No, I'm pretty sure I am. It's just… I don't know what happened but, well… hehe, you probably don't wanna be bothered with my little sob story do you?" Vaios only got a shake of the head in response, an awkward chuckle coming from him. "As for the accent, well, I've always talked this way as far as I know. Guess I was just raised by people who talk differently."

"Ultimately it doesn't matter. You'll suit our needs anyway." Jin turned away from Vaios with that, the salvager edging back and getting away, making his way up to the top deck. He saw Malos and his Blade watching the sea pass from one side… but his instincts told him he should just avoid the dark man. He felt he wouldn't get a thing out of it anyway.

The crows nest was a way up, and Vaios made a small whistle to get the attention of the man currently on watch.

"Ah, there ya' are. So, you here to start the watch shift or not?"

"Course I am Monell. You can head on down, I've got it from here."

"Good to know. Keep a sharp eye watching. It's not looking to good out there, so keep an eye out for the worst."

"Will do. I'll give a warning if a storm starts rolling in." Vaios leaned against the railing as the man left, pulling out a pair of binoculars of his own, "Okay, let's get watching."

* * *

Hours later, now that night had fallen and the ship was drifting over the motionless waves of the sea in the dead of night lit only be the moon and stars. Vaios was scanning the horizon as clouds were also rolling up, and as he panned over, he brought his gaze back. It was the black ship from the harbor.

"What the? What's that black ship doing here? Is it following us?" Vaios lowered the binoculars as the thought came around, giving a sigh and leaning heavily on the rail, adjusting his goggles, causing his pendant to also jingle a bit on its slender chain.

"Ugh, it's way to cold up here?" Nia's voice came from behind him, and Vaios couldn't help but crack a grin as he turned to face the Gormotti girl.

"You-"

"I'll have you know I've got a name. It's Nia."

"I picked that one up." Vaios replied.

"Hm… they started boozin' below decks. You should join them." Nia suggested, Vaios giving a hum.

"If you're suggesting that then why aren't you there? For me personally, I actually don't drink. Besides, I don't need a headache before a job, especially not a deep dive." Vaios said, Nia nodding.

"I feel the same. I don't hate it, I just don't need a headache right now myself."

"Heh, funny things is, part of the Salvager's Code is "swim like a fish and drink like one to." You'd have to get used to it." Vaios stretched a bit as he leaned on the railing again, Nia giving a scoff.

"Ugh, sounds terrible. I don't think I'll change careers if that's the case." Nia's remark got Vaios to snicker.

"I'm sure you Drivers make way more than us salvagers could ever hope to anyway. Don't see why you'd wanna." Vaios looked off and to the World Tree off in the distance, and in the dark of night, the lights around the titanic tree were even clearer than during the day, lighting it up brilliantly.

"So, kid…"

"My name's Vaios. I'd appreciate if you called me that, Nia."

"Alright, Vaios. Why did you become a salvager in the first place?"

"There's a few reasons." Vaios said, pulling off his pendant and letting it dangle in Nia's view. "The first is kinda personal. You don't mind a bit of a long story do you?"

"Go ahead."

"Alright." Vaios turned around and placed the pendant back on, folding his arms. "The thing is, when I was thirteen years old, I was found on the shores of Fonsett Village in Leftheria. I don't have a memory to my name, the only thing I _could_ remember. Aside from the ill fit, wrecked clothes I washed up in, the only thing I had on me was this pendant. I have no idea who made it, or what the emblem on it means. Even weirder, certain things I see or hear keep making me see these flashes, and I remember words I shouldn't know… I kinda hope that this salvaging job'll help me find something about who I am, give me answers to all these things I see and can't make sense of."

"Wow, quite the story you've got there. Sounds like the kind of thing that kicks off some grand adventure." Nia said, Vaios laughing at the remark. "So, what else? You said you've got a few reasons."

"The other reason… would be that." Vaios turned again and pointed off to the World Tree, Nia lifting a brow. "Yeah, kinda silly I know. I'm not even the kind of person who puts a lot of stock in the legends surrounding that thing but… I feel weirdly drawn to it all the same. I mean, you find a lot things in this line of work. Most of it's junk, some it's treasure. But the thing is, they're all left from people from a long time ago. And the thing, we lose more Titans every day. I saw a big one go under the other day, and who knows how many animals were still living on it? Soon enough we're gonna run out of place to live, and who knows how much fighting will start over the bits that are left. I may not put a lot of stock in it… but if something like Elyisum really _does_ exist up there, then maybe there's a way to find out how to get up the World Tree to reach it. If we did… maybe the potential disputes over land could be prevented before they start."

"Pffff… bwahahahaha!" Nia's open laughter at the melodramatic way Vaios was talking earned a bit of a chuckle from the young man in turn. "'May not put a lot of stock in it' eh? For that kind of remark you certainly seem sure of yourself. And what's with this 'drawn to it' bit as well? Geez you're talking like the protagonist of some novel!"

"Ehehehehe… yeah I kinda caught that one. Still, I'm honest about it. It's either that, or we find out how to keep the Titans from dying out. Whichever happens first I suppose."

"Besides, that's all just stories for children. And that there is just an overgrown shrub."

"Maybe… but, I still think there's a way up there." Vaios replied, looking back to the tree. "Chances are, it's just hidden by the clouds. I can't shake the feeling there's more to the World Tree than we know… Rhadamanthus. Every time I look at that tree, that word pops into my mind. It has to mean _something,_ doesn't it?"

"Hm. Can't give you much advice about that. I've never dealt with memory loss, so can't help you there either." Nia said, Vaios chuckling.

"But… I mean think about it. If something like Elysium does exist, doesn't that mean everyone in Alrest can settle down and we can have some honest peace, and not this stupid stalemate that'll snap like a rubber band the more we pull it? It's something to believe in as far as I think… and believing in the hope things can get better is, to me, far better than accepting things as they are, better than just going along with the status quo."

"Well, not like anyone can tell you what to believe in. But… everyone, huh? Y'know, I always thought people were selfish by nature. But you… well, even if part of the reason you're doing this is to search for your own answers…"

"Huh?"

"Well… so, if you're some kid who washed up on the shores of a Titan one day, who raised you then?"

"Hm? That one I mentioned earlier, Azurda."

"Ah, the guy who taught you to use those Arts of yours?"

"Well… it's kind of a bit more complicated than that." Vaios said, Nia raising a brow. "First off, Azurda's a Titan, so teaching me how to use a sword isn't exactly natural…. But also, somehow, just holding one felt natural to me. Like I knew the way to do it by instinct… of course with that in mind it doesn't paint a pretty idea for me of just who I could've been before."

"Heh, who knows, maybe you were some talented army conscript with a knack for fighting despite not being a Driver." Nia and Vaios both started laughing at that one, the Gormotti slowing down and then giving a hum. "But raised by a Titan huh? Interesting… not sure I fully catch your drift, but this Azurda doesn't sound that bad. And you're not so bad yourself, kid. Not that different from me."

"Hm. I'll take that as a compliment." Vaios said, blinking when he saw dark clouds starting to roll in. "Ugh, that storms here now. Come on, let's get below deck so we don't get caught in it."

"Heh, I can handle a bit of rain I'll have you know. I'm not some common house cat." Nia got a chuckle out of Vaios again, but turned to follow him down either way. "But I agree with you. Better to be in top form once the _real_ business begins."

"Yeup." Vaios stopped for a moment and looked back to the World Tree, his hand tightening a bit on the railing he was gripping. _"I just feel it though… the answers I'm looking for… they're at that tree, they have to be. I don't know why… but that's the feeling I've got about all of this."_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Well I've had this one on the burner for a while... like over half a year. Oh the thought that came into all of this since I've been playing both Xenoblade 1 and 2 for a while now. Now... how to handle the Blade sets in this. Oof that's gonna be a deal to think about. But it will be fun! Didn't spend months talking over this and thinking about it for nothing. See you all next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

_A Turn of Fate_

 _ **Chapter 2: Red Blade**_

" _We are in position. All personnel, report to stations. Salvage team, suit up, and proceed to hatch."_

The sudden blaring of the intercom had Vaios shoot awake. With that declaration in the air, he quickly went to donning all of the pieces of his hard suit, grabbing the helmet for it that had been situated nearby before leaving the room and heading up onto deck. He could hear the rain pounding down onto the sides of the ship, so the storm had reached them now. It wouldn't make the dive dangerous, but it was a thing to watch out for.

Once he reached the deck, all of the other suited up salvagers were gathered around their leader for the dive, who nodded once he saw that everyone was gathered.

"Your target is located inside a shipwreck 450 peds straight down. Searching the wreck while submerged is too high-risk for our tastes, so we'll be using flotation devices and cranes to lift the hull first. Next, you'll split into teams and explore the interior. Once the target is found, retrieval can commence. If that's clear, let's begin with attaching the floats. Get into position!"

"We're paying you lowlifes a lot, so don't screw it up!" Vaios looked back and up when he heard Nia, giving a wry smirk as he turned back and followed the other salvagers out.

"On a bit of a high horse aren't we?" Vaios chuckled as he pulled his goggles up and over his eyes. He placed on the helmet for the suit and attached the breathing tube to it. All he heard after that once he was outside with the other salvagers was the rain coming down on the helmet in dull, small thuds. Once they were all in position, the all clear was given, and Vaios took the first leap.

Diving into the cloudsea was different than say, diving into a lake while on a Titan. There was no loud splash or flare of water on the entry, as the incredibly thin upper layer of the sea was more like a film than anything. But once inside, it was no different than water. All once had to do was go down.

"Whoa… is that it?" Vaios brought his dive to a short halt to take in what he was seeing. The ship was _massive._ From end to end, it had to have been the biggest non-Titan ship he'd seen, even bigger than the black ship, possibly larger than the Goldmouth ship of Argentum even. "It's pretty old, Dromarch was right… let's see, that's the prow over there. And that large end should be the propulsion system. It's massive, just who made this ship?"

That brought on another series of brief flashes. Standing out though, was what he could swear to be this ship itself, moored on the shores of a land he didn't know. But, he did feel the sense of impression and awe at it.

"Torna." He uttered the word without thinking, like he had other times with other things he saw. Shaking his head, Vaios shook the feeling off and continued the dive. Heading further and further down until he was near the wall of the ship as the cranes lowered and latched onto it, the sound loud enough to carry on through the sea. From the supplies that had been lifted down, along with the other divers, Vaios grabbed one of the currently closed, large flotation devices and guided it to a spot on the ship. Once it was latched on and secured, Vaios moved back and waved to some of the others, who returned the gesture.

All of the salvagers began moving back once things were set, the flotation devices bursting open, dragging it up and above the waves, the salvagers having taken the opportunity to latch themselves to the main deck of the ship during the raising process, and with it up to the surface. Once it was all clear and stable, Vaios started getting out of his hardsuit so he'd be able to move easier once inside of the ship. As he was readjusting his clothes into their proper positions, a ramp from the _Maelstrom_ came down onto the deck, Nia the first of the Driver crew to touch on the ship.

"Excellent work! You're not half bad, y'know that?" Nia said, Vaios chuckling while buckling his sword to his belt.

"Told ya' so. There's perks to making something like this your job." Vaios said, everyone looking off to the crew leader as he walked to the center.

"All teams, proceed inside when ready!" The leader said, Nia nodding.

"Right then, let's get moving." Malos took the lead among the groups, Vaios folding his arms as he watched the man. As they did, he turned when Jin stopped and looked back to him, the masked man silent for a moment.

"You, with us." Jin said, Vaios raising a brow, Nia looking surprised.

"You're gonna drag him along? Seriously?" Nia said, Vaios giving her a narrowed look.

"Guess he thinks we need all the help you can get." Malos said, Nia clicking her tongue.

"Oi!"

"Gahahaha!"

"Well he's pleasant." Vaios sarcastically muttered, Nia glaring at him.

"Well?! Don't just stand there! You've got your orders, haven't you?" Nia snapped, Vaios throwing up his arms. The team made their way forward, and as they approached the large doors leading into the ship, the only way to even get in, the structures were suddenly slammed by something from within. With another hit, the doors were blown wide open, a massive sea creature scuttling out onto the deck.

"Whoa! That's a big Lysaat!" Vaios's hand shot to the hilt of his sword as the Lysaat looked around at what had disturbed it, though as he began to draw the blade, Nia stepped ahead of him, looking back at Vaios with a smirk.

"Let me show you what a Driver can do." Nia said drawing the rings at her waist, blue edges of light forming from them as she shot forward, Dromarch following suit. Following the two was Malos and his Blade. The large Lyssat may have been able to move its limbs quickly, but the two pairs of Driver and Blade were simply faster, or if not then the Blades blocked the strikes. Vaios didn't even feel like there was a reason for him to step in as Nia and Malos slashed at the Lysaat, though he did have to side step a severed leg that went sailing his way.

His observations of the way the two Drivers fought, letting their Arts run wild with each strike, brought to mind only one word for him: Ruthless. Perhaps it was, according to what he'd read about, that being a Driver granted one greater physical ability, or that a Blade's weapon was just that much stronger than whatever tool you could have forged, or a Blade's own protective abilities… odds were it was all three that led to Driver's combat styles being more relentless than regular people's.

"Hey! Quit zonin' out and do somethin'!" Nia shouted as she stepped away from the Lysaat, Vaios then catching on that it was charging at _him_ now.

"That's what I get I guess!" Vaios drew his sword fully as the crustacean leapt at him to attack, exposing it's soft underbelly despite it. As Vaios ducked forward while dashing to strike, another feeling came to the air beside him, and in the moment another sword joined his in running through the Lysaat. He glanced over, and Jin was there, coldly staring down animal as his blade drove into its belly even deeper than Vaios's, and with a mere flick, his sword went up and sent the body flying off the deck and into the cloud sea.

There weren't any words from the masked man as he lowered his sword, merely a sideways glance to Vaios as the bright-green haired teenager relaxed his stance, watching as Jin stowed his slender sword on his back. Vaios caught something odd about it two… a red crystal was embedded into the spot where blade and hilt met, a crystal that was red as blood. And because it seemed like today was going to be full of it, yet another flash came to his mind.

A sword just like that one, but with a crystal as blue as the sky… and the familiar face of someone, a girl. A girl with red hair, next to someone… someone with the same mask and silver hair.

"Lora." Vaios gasped as the name came out of his mouth, and he swore that, for _just_ a moment, he saw Jin stop in his tracks before continuing forward "Do I… do I know him from somewhere?"

"Oi! Ya' zonin' out again or what?" Nia approached Vaios and slapped him on the arm, the older teen grumbling as she sheathed his sword. "You sure you alright? I thought you said you'd be fine doing that dive."

"Relax, I'm fine. Just… had a weird thought. Doesn't matter. Still, I'm a bit envious now, you made that look easy." Vaios replied, Nia giving a small huff as she leaned back on Dromarch.

"It was a walk in the park. Just some dumb animal after all."

"Yeah but come on, at least let me admit to being impressed."

"Enough yapping you two brats! Let's move!" Malos shouted from near the doorway, Vaios giving a flat look to the dark-haired man as he turned around.

"Again,he's pleasant." Vaios sarcastically muttered, Nia scoffing herself.

"More like self-important. You get used to him, but, yeah, I agree." Nia said, Vaios chuckling.

"Hehehe, sure, I'll take your word. Now, I'm actually eager to check this ship out, so lets get a move on!" Vaios rolled his arm and then trotted off, Nia rolling her eyes and looking at Dromarch, who just chuckled himself, the two following after Vaios with that.

Although, unbeknownst to the entire present crew aboard, watching from off near the unloaded equipment, Pupunin was watching the proceedings with a camera like device lowered down…

* * *

And all the way back in Argentum, Bana was watching events on a screen before him. The massive and rotund Nopon gave a hum as he watched the Driver crew and Vaios vanish into the depths of the ship, one "wing" stroking his chin… wherever that was.

"They make short work of monster… These no ordinary fighters. Big job in Mor Ardain going well too… There much money to be made from these people! Ohohohohohoho!"

* * *

"Hghgh… I just got a really weird chill." Vaios shook his head a bit as he felt a quiver go down his back, and Nia looked back at him with a smirk.

"What? Suddenly gettin' cold feet now that we're inside this old thing?" Nia tapped the still dripping wall of the entryway their party was in, Vaios giving her a not-so-amused glare.

"Funny. I just got a bad feeling for… some reason." Vaios however, was more keen to investigate the ship now that they were inside of it. The initial entrance of the ship they had left had been a rather small chamber, definitely little more than an entryway than anything properly important. The dark, aged metal was also covered in deep-sea growths in places where it could have gotten.

"Don't bother heading on up those steps." Malos spoke as Vaios began heading for the far stairs that led upwards, the teen looking back at the man. "It's just the helm, you won't find anything up there, I bet."

"Well I think its worth looking at the very least." Vaios retorted. "I'm a salvager, anything could be of value depending on its condition."

"Freaking…" Malos was about to step forward, but stopped when Jin put an arm out. "What now?"

"Just leave him be." Jin said.

"I'll just be a moment. If it's just the helm it's not like there'll be a ton of room." Vaios said, retreating up the stairs before anything else could be said. And true to the prediction, the helm really did lack much to look around… aside from a couple of Krabbles that immediately scurried away to some corner once Vaios showed up at least. Still… the make of it was ticking something in his mind. A main platform, likely where the captain would stand, and consoles to the left and right where crew would be. The blown out window area was letting rain in, and at the least gave a nice look over the deck. He could only imagine what sailing on a ship _this_ big would have been like.

And then…

" _Whoa ho hoo! Talk about impressive! This that new class you were telling me about?"_

" _I knew you'd be impressed by it. One of Torna's finest ships yet."_

" _No kidding, it's not even Titan-based!"_

Vaios shook his head as he felt those words echo in his head… him and someone else. They were overlooking a ship just like this one at a harbor, close enough to fully take in its grand size… oddly, the face of the man he was with was blurry for some reason. Yet even without being able to remember it, he felt horribly familiar… like an old friend, somebody he called family.

Shaking his head, Vaios turned around and headed back down to the entrance, putting a hand behind his head as he regrouped with the Driver party.

"Well, there was definitely nothing actually up there." He said, Malos giving a huff.

"Told you so. Now come on, lets get below deck, where what we're looking for _actually_ is." Malos turned and headed on down the other stairwell, Vaios shrugging as Jin and Nia followed, trotting along himself to keep pace. Further downwards, the stairs opened into a mid-deck area. It made it clear that this ship wasn't just long, it's interior was also suitably massive.

The walls were still dripping with water down at this level, and the floors had suitable amounts of algae covering them from all their time under the sea, though thankfully not enough to make losing their footing be any kind of problem. The first sight at the bottom of these stairs Vaios made mental notes about was the view to the rest of the deck. It led down to a floor were some sea creatures were milling around, and a door led further in. A few of the runways on the sides were old, one even having a segment that had since fallen out. He could also see that some of the mesh panels of the floor were old, likely enough they would drop away if stepped on.

"Looks like this was some kind of storage hold… maybe this was a cargo ship?" Nia said, joining Vaios at looking over the deck, the young man giving a hum as he followed some of the scuttling creatures.

"Possibly. Though can't imagine a kingdom needing a cargo ship this big. Odds are it was meant to be a battleship. Did you see how big the guns it had were?" Vaios noted, Nia giving hum.

"True. Well whatever. Hey Malos, how deep is this thing we're looking for anyway?" Nia asked, Malos turning to the younger two.

"Just shut up and keep moving. We don't have time to play 20 Questions." Malos gruffly said, hopping over the railing and down into the hold, his Blade growling at the creatures they passed as they proceeded along.

"Again, pleasant." Vaios snarked, Nia just rolling her eyes. The group continued on, moving deeper into the hold to a much more solid floor a level down. Across the way, past the old storage boxes and more sea creatures, Vaios was able to spot a door, even with how dark it was getting down here.

"Hey, I just noticed something." Nia said, Vaios glancing at her as they continued. "Yeah… I'm not sure if it's just some trick of the light or wot but… your eyes, are they glowin', or am I goin' mad?"

"What?"

"Yeah I swear they're… aw never mind, must just be a trick of the light. It's damn dark down here." Nia said, Vaios shrugging… but still, she could've sworn they were. Maybe it was just how bright they were? It didn't really matter though when Nia put a smidge of thought to it.

When the group approached the large doors, like at the top before, they were blown open by a large creature, this one another crustacean, Vaios recalling it was being called a Pagul. Notable for the fact it had a spiked shell, and one large claw that could be used like a shield… not that they had time to actually decide to deal with it as it was.

So little time in fact, Malos didn't waste any at all and just killed the thing with a quick slash from his sword.

"Alright kid, you're the salvager, so what's this place look like to you huh?" Malos turned to Vaios as they entered the large chamber. Off a ways past the mist, Vaios spotted a large shutter door, and he gave a hum as he put a hand to his chin.

"Odds are this was the loading bay. Kind small, especially for one this large, but, if we go from the idea this was a warship, then it's likely this was for loading men onto." Vaios said, scanning the room, then pointing off. "That doors open there. Should take us further down. I presume whatever you guys are looking for is deep down, right?"

"If we're correct, it'll be the bottom deck." Malos confirmed, Vaios giving a nod.

Following the pointed out path, the part made their way down that much further. The chamber they ended up at was rather narrow, but a viewing area showed they were no above a rather spacious chamber below it. Vaios saw more of those ether lines, and following them along, he found what _had_ to be the central control area. Lining the far wall as he jumped down to the lower area were ether fuel injectors. Most of them were shut, and he wasn't going to bother trying to pry them open, especially since, with all of them lacking glows, it meant not a lick of power was going through the ship. But, one was open, and it lacked an ether cylinder as well. There was one next to it, but it was totally empty, as Vaios found out when he lifted it.

"Huh… well, looking at this, I don't think that big door here will open up until we replace this." Vaios noted, tossing the empty cylinder to the side. "If this is the control area, then there should be some spare cylinders nearby… let's hope the years under the sea didn't wreck them."

"Well? Get to finding one then." Malos ordered, Vaios rolling his eyes. Nia followed Vaios as he trotted up to the other end of the deck.

"Again, your friend is rather pleasant." Vaios noted, Nia sighing to herself.

"Master Malos is just… antsy I suppose." Dromarch said, Vaios starting to fiddle around with the chambers that had to be storage containers for ether cylinders, Nia joining him in searching. Most of them were either empty or dead, which was weird because one would think a ship like this would've been fully stocked.

"Found one!" Vaios grabbed a glowing cylinder as soon as he caught sight of one, lifting it up, Nia nodding to him. The two hurried back to the central area, Vaios flashing the cylinder to Malos and Jin as he walked by. "Now to just shove this puppy in."

Vaios took the cylinder and lowered it into the open slot on the container and gave it a hand as the old gears clanked, Vaios shoved it back into place and the algae covered hatch closed tightly. A bright golden glow then formed in the large cylinder, shooting up into the ship, and the party could hear a hum throughout as life returned to the vessel, hopefully at least enough to get things that needed to run running. A blue line moved to the control panel near the conduits, Jin turning and slamming a hand down onto one of the buttons. In response, the large door across from them smoothly opened up, exposing the empty chamber past it.

"Well, that was easy." Nia remarked, Vaios cracking his knuckles.

"Don't go jinxing us Nia." Vaios said, stepping off with a chuckle as Nia hissed at him. The air they met the groups skin as they entered the chamber was cool. The chamber was full of mist, thick enough to blanket the floor… and just their luck, a large, slime covered creature stirred awake. Its fat body had a single tail and two legs, while it's jaws made up at least a good third of it's length, and the creature roared at the party as it's feet made wet _slaps_ on the ground.

"A Megalo Aligo… how the hell did it get in here?" Vaios muttered, looking around for _any_ sign to how the large thing even got into the chamber. There was no way it could've just been in here the entire time could it?

"Not gonna let us pass huh? Sounds like a challenge." Malos said, Vaios just sighing and drawing his sword as everyone else brandished their weapons in turn.

The Aligo immediately charged at the party, shooting by like a bullet even as they dodged out of the way, Jin taking a slash at the beast as it passed by. Malos jumped at it and drove his blade into the creature, which attempted to throw him off as it snapped its jaws repeatedly, the man just wildly smirking as he leapt back. Vaios shot back from around the tail, jumping over when the animal lashed at him, pulling out his anchor pistol and firing, reeling it back as the anchor dug into the Aligo, pulling him forward and getting him close enough to drive his sword through it's soft flesh.

The Aligo roared and attempted to throw Vaios off, but he was stubbornly sticking to it, the thrashing giving Nia and Malos openings to cut at it's face, while Jin dashed by and seemingly vanished from view, ending up behind the Aligo as he swiped his sword, multiple cuts appearing on the monster, and then it finally went quiet.

"… that felt kind of anticlimactic." Vaios hummed as he pulled out his sword and hopped off the body, turning around as Malos and Jin turned to the door at the other end of the room.

"Jin, look there. Addam's crest." Malos said, Vaios raising a brow.

"Addam?" Vaios whispered. That was the name of the hero from 500 years ago, the man who fought in the Aegis War… the hero of Torna. Vaios new the names from legends but… now that was strange. _"I remembered Torna because I saw this ship though… not because of that play I read that one time… so why did I recall it because of that and not this?"_

Vaios raised a brow as that thought passed through… but the crest Malos mentioned interested him more. Passing the two men, Vaios approached the door, and once the crest came into clear view, he stopped dead, his eyes going wide. He looked down at his pendant, and it became clear as he lifted it up… both the pendant and door were emblazoned with the same flame shaped crest as each other. It was a perfect match.

"The same? What the hell?" Vaios muttered.

"You." Jin spoke up, Vaios turning to the man. "Open this door. This door will only open to one of you people… the fact that pendant of yours has the same crest proves it."

"One of… is this why you asked for Leftherians?" Vaios asked, Malos glaring at him.

"Hurry up and do it! We're not paying you to ask pointless questions!" Malos said, Vaios clicking his tongue.

"Fine. No need to be like that, geez. Some respect for the people you paid." Vaios still felt skeptical about this for some reason. But, it was at least worth a shot wasn't it? Turning back to the door, Vaios reached a hand out to the crest. The moment his fingers brushed it, the crest glowed blue, and at the same time, so did his pendant surprisingly enough, but only for a moment. When the short glow died down, the door opened with heavy sounds following it, the clanks of gears and whirs of ancient parts finally moving again after ages, opening up to a single hallway with another marked door. "Nowhere to go but forward."

Vaios stepped into the passage, and notably, with each step he took there were odd sparks. Nia went to follow him, but a curt sound from Jin made her and Vaios stop and turn.

"Wait." It was moreso addressed to Nia, Jin gesturing to Vaios to follow it. "Open that door too."

Shrugging in response, Vaios approached the second door and touch the symbol. Like the first one, it glowed, and the door opened, but this time, into a new chamber entirely.

"Let's move." Jin said.

Vaios, as he was the furthest ahead, took the lead from the group. The chamber opened up into a large, circular chamber with pipes all around, and a central area parted by a small pit filled with glowing light. What was the most curious thing though, was what lie at the exact center of the room. Stuck into a pedastel, Vaios saw what had to be a sword. It was bright red and single edged, with a hand-guard that went up around the yellow-wrapped hilt, while the back edge was made up of three red spikes, and curiously, an oddly shaped, glowing emerald sat within it.

But then, there was the capsule.

"A girl?" Vaios looked up at the capsule, moreso, it's occupant. A girl clothed in red and black, with hair the same shade of red as the sword, her hands folded over her chest, and Vaios could _swear_ he saw a gem peeking out from under her hands… but, he couldn't stop staring at her face. Things were moving in his mind, a sense of familiarity rose… and his mind flashed again, hard enough he brought a hand to his face from the sudden shock, and first to come with the flashes was a voice…

" _Hey! Come on do you need to be that harsh?!"_

"… _I said I'd be more careful next time Vaios, geez… you're not even my Driver."_

" _Promise me… promise me you'll come back alive!"_

Another girl, a girl with blonde hair dressed in white, with a face the exact same as the girl's in the capsule… a familiar face, one that made something in him feel a twinge of pain at remembering.

"Mythra…" As Vaios lowered his hand, he was surprised to suddenly feel something wet on his finger, moving it to find a tear had fallen onto it. But… why? Why did he feel a sudden sense of regret and pain now? Was it because of that girl he saw?

A humming then pulled Vaios out of his shocked state. His eyes looked to the red sword before him, locking on the emerald layed into it. That shape… rectangular, but with two triangular protrusions on it. That shape also felt familiar, like he knew it very well, that he knew what it meant.

"The Conduit." Vaios began moving his hand forward, closer and closer to that emerald by the moment, feeling a pulse wash over him as he did… he felt like something was calling to him, asking him to reach out and touch it, to answer it.

At the entrance, the Driver group had caught up to Vaios, and Jin's eyes narrowed as he focused on the capsule, at the girl within.

"Look at that." Malos said, Jin nodding.

"No mistaking it. That's the Aegis." Jin said, Nia leaning forward and squinting to get a better look, as the emerald glow in front of Vaios was growing brighter by the second now.

"The Aegis?" Nia asked, looking surprised by the statement.

"Hey brat!" Malos snapped as he saw that Vaios was reaching towards the sword, "Don't even think about touching that!"

"What?" Too little too late though, as the sudden surprise caused Vaios's hand to jump forward and bump the crystals, flecks of emerald light flying out. The shock of the moment was only further added on when Vaios felt something pierce him… and a slender blade shot out of his front from behind, Jin standing behind Vaios now, his sword driven right up the teenager's back, aimed to go right through his heart. "What the… wh-why… Jin?!"

"Don't take it personally, Vaios." Jin said, and he swore there was a hint of sadness in the man's voice… but hardly any. "Consider it an act of mercy… this time, don't come back. At least you won't be alive to see what's coming."

Jin ripped the blade from Vaios's back, the teenager shuddering for a moment before he collapsed to the ground. After flicking his blade off, blood flying to the ground, Jin turned and struck again, this time, at the sword. The slash utterly shattered the weapon, and as she shards fell, Jin turned and left.

"What a waste of time." Malos muttered, Nia however, the picture of shock.

"Jin?! Why did you kill him?! Why?! What did Vaios ever do to you?!" Nia shouted, Jin giving her a cold look, but not a single word as he passed her by.

"Let's get the Aegis shipped out of here." Malos said, walking forward and to the capsule. "Nia, call the Monoceros."

Nia's hand clenched tightly, a snarl coming to her face… and yet, there seemed to be just a bit of life left in Vaios, his eyes lidded… but also flickering. His vision was growing dark, staticy even seemingly.

" _Is this… is this seriously how I'm gonna die? No… I don't… I can't just… die here… there has… has to be something…"_ The weak thought came to Vaios's mind… but his vision was already fading away…

* * *

The tolling of a bell stirred him up. He felt a breeze go over his skin, and a scratchy but soft feeling under him… grass… why was he laying on grass face down?

Vaios suddenly realized this and shot up, his eyes wide, and he quickly palmed at his chest, but not a mark was in sight on it. The confusion he felt only mounted when he saw where he was though. The sky bright blue, lit up bright by a noon-day sun, and as far as he could see, rolling hills of grass, with a line of trees thickly kept behind him, and off a ways, one central hill with a lone, large tree marking it. And even at this distance, he could see someone next to it, a vague shape true… but, it at least meant he wasn't alone here… wherever "here" even was.

"Well… guess I don't have many options." As the bell tolled again, Vaios stood up and headed for the tree. As he got closer and the figure became clearer to see, he slowly began to realize it, even if he was seeing her from behind… it was the same girl he had seen in the capsule. "Uh… hello?"

"It's such a mournful sound." The girl said, Vaios listening in now to the ringing bell… which he now realized was all too much like a church bell. "It hasn't stopped. Not… Not in all these years."

"The bell? Is the Indoline Praetorium nearby or… wait, where's the World Tree? You can see it no matter where you are in… wait, where are we anyway?"

"This is… Elysium." The girl answered, Vaios raising a brow as he started approaching her. "The land where long ago, mankind lived in harmony with their creator. It's where… "we" where born."

"Seriously?" As Vaios reached the crest of the hill, he was finally able to look out past it. Below, past the rolling green hills and a deep blue, he could see a small town with a church on a hill. But even further past that was a massive city that stretched on for what had to be miles. The image before him was familiar, nostalgic… the feeling one has upon returning home after a long absence welled up in Vaios's chest as his eyes widened.

Then, he felt a pain there. A horrible pain of loss and grief. He looked out at that city, and his mind continually flashed with fuzzy images, and all it did was make that sense of loss even greater.

"Why… why do I feel like… like I'm looking at something I lost ages ago?" Vaios's voiced quivered slightly as he spoke, and he felt a warm feeling on his cheeks, quickly realize tears had suddenly welled in his eyes in conjunction to the tight feeling in his chest.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

Vaios looked over when a gentle brush on his face moved away the tears on his cheeks, and now that the girl's eyes were open, he could see they were just as red as her hair, and then his eyes moved down as he noticed a faint, emerald glow… and saw the same oddly shaped emerald crystal as he'd seen on the sword from before.

"A Core Crystal… you're a Blade?" Vaios muttered, the girl nodding.

"My name is Pyra… though perhaps a different name comes to mind for you." She said.

"Mythra… when… when I saw you on that ship, that was the name that I remembered." Vaios said, then he realized it… Pyra was talking like she knew him. "Wait… do you… have we met before?"

"In a way… I suppose you could say that, Vaios." Pyra answered, Vaios's eyes going wide. "It was a long time ago… and your expressions tells me my guess was right, you don't remember."

"There's uhm… there's a lot things I don't remember, honestly speaking." Vaios murmured, "Wait… but, before I was… how did I even get here? Actually… is this place real, or is it some kind of dream?"

"You were… mortally wounded." Pyra said, Vaios turning back to her with eyes the size of plates. "Stabbed through the heart by Jin. But… there's still a flicker of life in you, truthfully… but it's weak."

"How does that…" Then he remembered… the feeling of the blade going through his back… and now, compounded onto it, a sudden sense of betrayal as well. "Jin… did… did I know him to? Actually… shit, that's even worse! If those guys went to kill me then that means the rest of the crew is in danger… but how the hell can I do anything when I was stabbed through the damn heart?! This is some dying fever dream! Titan's ass!"

Vaios had started pacing around, only to start pulling at his hair as he also realized how hopeless the entire situation was, promptly flopping onto the ground on his back and staring up at the clouds.

"Vaios, I want to ask you something." Pyra leaned down to look Vaios in the face, the bright emerald-haired teen angling his eyes to look at her. "Can you… take me to Elyisum?"

"Context."

"This world is only a memory. An ancient, half-forgotten memory of what once was." Pyra answered, Vaios standing up. The real Elysium lies in your world. Atop the World Tree, at the heart of Alrest."

"Wait so… that means those legends are true? Elysium really does exist?" Vaios got a nod, then his hand went to his chest. "But how can I help when I'm dying? Even if you said there was still some life, I was stabbed through the heart… that's a sure kill."

"You don't remember it but… Vaios, you're different, than other people… stronger, in many ways. But, that kind of injury is almost too much, even for you, so…" Pyra took a hand to her Core Crystal, drawing Vaios's eyes back down to it. "I will give you half of my life force. That way, you can be revived. As my Driver. As the Driver of the Aegis."

"Driver… of the Aegis." Vaios repeated, and he felt another pulse in his mind at that moment.

" _If anything happens to me Vaios… I'd like you to take my place, as her Driver… as the Driver of the Aegis."_

"Addam." Vaios had a hand near his face as he said the name. "Why… how? Why is it when I say that name, something about it feels personal to me? Do I… do I have some kind of connection to him? To Addam? How… he lived 500 years ago."

"What will you do, Vaios?" Pyra asked, Vaios's right hand curling into a ball.

"Tell me, Pyra, this place… Elysium, it really exists, right?"

"Yes."

"And some of these things I remember… about the city over there, like the ones I see in my dreams, and about that tower that reaches into the sky… the name Rhadamanthus, do you know anything about that? What any of that means?"

"Vaios, I know what you're thinking, and you're correct." Pyra said, Vaios's eyes going wide again, his balled hand relaxing. "The memories that are locked deep inside of your mind… there is a chance I can help you regain them. But… please, I want you to take me here, to Elysium. And in doing so, you could also save Alrest, wrest it free of the fate that awaits it."

"Huh… answers about who I am, and a chance to save people? Hehehe… I don't really see any other option to this then." Vaios gained a small grin at that, his eyes looking far more set than they had before. "Fine… I don't have any idea how you know me, but, I agree… I'll take you to Elysium. No matter what it takes, I'll find a way to do it!"

"Thank you, Vaios." Pyra said, a soft smile coming to her face, and she moved her hand away from her Core Crystal. "Now place your hand on my chest."

"Do you mean on the crystal or…"

"The crystal."

"Right right… totally what you meant."

 _Bum-bum_

It was like a heartbeat rang in his ears as a pulse came from the crystal. Slowly reaching forward, Vaios's fingers brushed the emerald gem, pulses shooting through the air as light began surging between, strands of energy moving from the crystal to Vaios, before the world shake and the light burst into a grand wash of energy…

* * *

Vaios's hand twitched against the cold metal of the ship's chamber. Slowly, his arm pushed against the ground, and he rose up as emerald light rose around him, and now marking his chest was part of a green crystal, shaped like an X, visible between the chain of his pendant. As his eyes opened, Vaios opened his right hand, a green crystal appearing at his palm, before the red sword from before reformed, his fingers closing on the grip. With a swipe to the side, the sword opened, an edge of flame shooting forward and engulfing the weapon, more flames spewing from the spikes on the opposite edge as they shifted.

"Alright… let's go." Vaios's eyes opened clearly as he reoriented the blade in his hands, looking up to the ceiling above. "I'm coming for some payback."

* * *

On the deck of the derelict ship, the storm had only begun raging even more. The rain had turned into a torrent, and the wind was howling through the air. Malos had the capsule containing Pyra over a shoulder, Nia following along, not taking her eyes off the ground. She was still thinking about it. Why? Why had Jin killed Vaios? What reason was there for such a thing?

"Nia. End them." Malos said, Nia looking up at the man with a surprised look.

"End? Like what?" Nia asked.

"The price for their lives has already been paid in full." Malos said, not even looking back at Nia, his tone not even changing. "Now that we have finally obtained the Aegis, the fewer living souls that know about it, the better."

"I-I can't do that! These people haven't done anything wrong!" Nia said, Malos stopping.

"I don't understand you." Malos said, his voice having gained a level of coldness and irritation. "Now now. Have you forgotten why you came here to begin with, Nia?"

"No, but…"

"Oh, for the love of… fine, I'll handle it myself." But, as Malos turned to head the other way, the capsule suddenly burst into flames. "Ugh, what the…?!"

Malos threw the blazing capsule to the side. The flames, despite the torrential rain, only grew and grew until bursting into a pillar of fire. From that pillar, a lone ball flew off and to the edge of the entrance to the ship, bursting into a ball of flame when it landed. And there now stood Pyra, her eyes opening for real as the flames around her flickered, and if one looked, they could see a segment of her Core Crystal was now missing… a segment in the shape of an x.

And from the deck of the ship, the metal began glowing red hot, another pillar of flames bursting from it and to the sky. And following this one, Vaios turned in the air and heavily landed on the deck, rising up with red sword in hand, his eyes turning to Malos and Jin.

"Vaios?!" Nia gasped.

"You! And that sword… it can't be!" Malos shouted, Vaios scoffing a bit as he raised the sword up, pointing it at Malos.

"Well you better believe it. And y'know, stabbing a man in the back is a low blow! Pyra!" Vaios turned, Pyra nodding to him.

"Here!"

"You've got my back right?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's go!"

As Vaios and Pyra both began to charge, Jin went to draw his blade, but Malos raised his arm, stopping the man.

"Jin, leave 'em to me." Malos's hand went to his own weapon, and when Vaios closed the distance, the two met blade to blade, Vaios's stoic glower meeting Malos's smirk. "Sorry kid." Malos shoved his arm forward and broke the lock, Vaios twirling back, lowering his blade into a one-handed stance. "I can't just let you go and claim her power for yourself."

"A bit too late for that." Vaios said.

Across the way, as Pyra moved to try and join Vaios, she dodged as Malos's blade swiped at her, cartwheeling back and away from the lizard-like Blade.

"Aegis, over here!" The Blade shouted.

"Besides… like hell I'm letting people like you take her!" Vaios shot up with that, swinging at Malos, their weapons colliding with each swing both gave, blocking or parrying with edge-to-edge blows. Vaios's fast footwork and nimble slashes that switched from one-handed and two-handed on the go were more than enough for him to easily match Malos's far heavier-handed attacks, sparks flying from each collision of blades between the two.

"Cut it out Malos! Vaios has nothing to do with any of this!" Nia shouted, Malos looking at her with a raised brow as he and Vaios locked blades again.

"Nothing to do with this? Don't make me laugh! This kid…" Malos snapped, pushing Vaios away again, moving to press the assault as Vaios reeled from the hit. "… has made himself the Aegis's Driver!"

"Aegis's Driver… Vaios is…" Nia looked stunned as Vaios and Malos continued exchanging blows.

A quick move from Vaios got him to dodge a strike that came close to his chest, driving his own sword up to parry the blade, forcing it down, him and Malos butting heads amid the strike.

"Ohhh… now I remember why you're moves were so familiar!" Malos's smirk went wide, Vaios looking taken aback for a second, that opening being enough for Malos to kick him away. "Yeah, that's right! I remember now… 500 years ago! You were there alongside that man! No wonder… you and him fight the same way!"

"Not gonna bother asking about that one." Vaios stood up, getting into a defensive stance when Malos threw his weapon to his blade, two slashes of wind coming from the Blade and rushing at Vaios, Pyra dashing in front of Vaios and lifting her hands, a barrier going up just as the attack rushed close, a burst going through the air before it died down. "Heh, thanks Pyra."

"You're welcome. Don't let up!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Vaios flipped his sword into a reverse hold as he and Pyra dashed off, the Blade blocking the slashes of air from Malos's blade as they rushed forward, Vaios shooting past and going for Malos, the man dodging his strikes with his sword, but a sneaky kick was enough to throw him back. "Everyone run, now! Get out of here!"

Without even needing more than that, the salvagers on the deck who'd been watching the fight in stunned awe began rushing for the _Maelstrom._ While Vaios wasn't letting up his assault, Malos leapt into the air to get away from a strike that came within a hairs breadth.

"Malos, here!" The man's blade lobbed the weapon back to his Driver, and as he landed on the upper segment of the ship's aft, a flick of his wrist changed it from a reverse blade into a straight sword, wind starting to surge around it as he pulled it back.

"I don't think so." Malos's target was the runway to the _Maelstrom,_ his eyes focusing right on it and the salvagers hurrying aboard.

"Hey, remember me!" Vaios however, wasn't intent on letting that happen. A swing of his blade send a gout of flame rushing for Malos, forcing him to use his sword to stop the strike. A beat wasn't even missed though, as from the smoke, Vaios and Pyra shot up, both holding the sword, a golden aura around both as they lifted it up.

" _ **Burning Sword!"**_

The attack came down with an explosion of flame hard enough to rock the ship, leaving everyone watching stunned… though when the smoke cleared, Vaios and Pyra had been stopped dead, Malos's weapon having changed to a shield, his Blade grasping it, the man looking at Vaios with a narrowed gaze.

"So that's why Jin wanted you dead huh?" Malos muttered, "How can some relic like you… ah but with those eyes… I know that look. I guess I should've been warier from the start."

"Can you cut with the cryptic shit?" Vaios bit, Malos smirking as dark energy began gathering at his right hand.

"Well maybe _you_ should be the one to cut it!" Malos snapped, swiping with his right hand, Pyra pulling Vaios back, _just_ avoiding the swipe. As the Drivers and Blades descended to the deck, the _Maelstrom_ was pulling away, Vaios giving it a glance as it left, standing straight and taking a stance again.

Malos was handed off the weapon from his blade, and the clash between the Drivers started anew. This time though, Malos was mixing up his strikes between blows. Some would come from the straight sword rather than the arm blade, or he'd block with the shield form. Vaios for his credit, wasn't that easy to trip up with some mixed-up moves. Nimbly avoiding slashes and stabs, returning blows with his own tight swings and jabs of the blade, using the times he hit the shield to instead launch himself away.

And in his own turn, Vaios mixed the fight up too, launching blasts of flame from the sword when the chance came to it. And with an opening made, he tossed the weapon to Pyra, drawing his own sword out as she caught it. Malos actually looked intrigued as the Driver and Blade came at him from opposite sides, blocking Pyra with the shield and using his wrist armor to catch Vaios's sword.

"Huh… neat, fighting the way Drivers and Blades did way back when." Malos chuckled as he shoved Vaios away and pushed Pyra back, slashing at Vaios with his sword, the teenager rolling over the slash and jumping back, taking Pyra's weapon back to his hands and storing his sword again. "You're good kid. It's no simple feat to control the Aegis like that… however."

When Vaios charged again, dark energy began forming at Malos's hand once more, and when the slash came at him, Malos caught the blade dead on with his hand, Vaios's eyes going wide. He attempted to pull back, but Malos yanked him forward, slamming his other hand right into Vaios's gut, Vaios letting out a cough from the strike, Malos then tossing him aside by the sword. Vaios was able to keep a grip on the weapon, and drove it into the deck after he hit the ground, a molten streak forming in the metal as he skidded to a stop, one hand over his stomach.

"Vaios!" Pyra shouted as she waved past the swipes from Malos's blade, the man walking towards Vaios as he slowly rose back up.

"Don't get cocky you little shit!" Malos shot forward with that snap.

"Dromarch!" Nia shouted, her Blade nodding as she jumped onto him.

"Understood!"

No longer just watching, as Malos charged at the shaken up Vaios, Dromarch let out a roar that sent a burst through the air, forcing Malos to stop while his Blade blocked the attack. Now that Malos had stopped, Dromarch leapt through the air, bringing him and Nia between Malos and Vaios.

"Get out of the way Nia! Have you gone mad!?" Malos roared, Nia giving the man a growl.

"You're the one who's off your nut, wailing on someone like that!" Nia snapped, Vaios standing back up.

"Nia I'm fine." Vaios muttered, gripping his sword with both hands.

"Nia, I don't think you quite comprehend your position." Malos growled.

"I get it, but-"

"You're starting to piss me off!"

"Tch… Pyra!" Vaios shouted out as Pyra shot by, tossing her blade to her and drawing his own again, shooting past Dromarch and Nia as he did. Vaios used his sword to halt Malos's blade as he swiped at Pyra, who leapt and went for the attack on Malos, blades colliding as she swung down at him. When Pyra bent forward and leapt off, Vaios kicked Malos's blade aside and shot forward, the man having to turn to block the strike from Vaios, moving away and dodging as Pyra struck at him in turn. Malos was putting in effort to divide his attention as the two came at him at once, Vaios hitting harder but Pyra faster, Malos yelling and moving into a spinning attack, forcing both to retreat back, but keeping the pressure on Pyra as she flipped back with each strike.

"Vaios, your turn!" Pyra jumped and let loose a couple blasts of fire at Malos, tossing the blade over and back to Vaios. Malos turned again as Vaios struck at him, their blades colliding with each swing, Vaios managing to sneak a blow in with his shoulder before turning, passing the blade back to Pyra as she shot forward, slamming the blade into Malos's, locking the weapons together.

"You're pretty sharp for someone who's only just woken up." Malos said, looking between Pyra and Vaios. "Takes me back to 500 years ago… especially with how you two are fighting. What's the deal with that appearance? I'm guessing your goal is Elysium…"

"That is our dream!" Pyra said, Malos huffing.

"Then I have no choice but to stop you!" Malos swung again with dark energy at his arm, Pyra leaping back, handing her sword back to Vaios as she landed. But, before the fight could go further, the ship rocked a bit, and Vaios glanced back, his eyes widening.

"The black ship?!" Vaios gasped as the massive ship began rearing up to the side of the vessel, and Vaios gasped as ports opened up, guns rising from the ship. "Shit! Pyra, we need a shield!"

Pyra threw up her hands at that, the ship firing down at the two. The shield held for a short while, but it couldn't hold, Pyra and Vaios being thrown back from the force of the explosion that broke the shield.

"Ngh, you good?" Vaios asked, helping Pyra up, the girl nodding.

"More or less."

"Stop this!" Dromarch got in front of the two as Nia shouted out, the Blade forming a large barrier as the black ship began firing at them again. But even that wasn't able to hold for long. A massive jet of water flew into the air from the relentless series of shots, and when the shield broke, Nia went flying off of Dromarch… and right over the edge of the ship.

"Nia!" Vaios ran off onto the side and jumped, catching Nia as she started falling towards the clouds. Whipping out his anchor pistol, he fired just in time to hook it onto the ship, flinching a bit as the line went solid, yanking his arm a bit from the force. But with that settled, he began pulling them back up.

"You're a tough one. But there's only one way for this to end." Malos walked to the edge, Vaios looking up at the man with a snarl on his face… only for the black ship to then turn its guns on him when he heard it come close.

"Shit."

But then the guns were attacked from elsewhere, balls of fire crashing down them from behind. Vaios eyes went wide as he saw a shape flying in along with an echoing call, Azurda, out from the clouds and flying through the air, wings as long as his body flapping, came flying by, angling between the two ships as he passed, a smile breaking onto Vaios's face.

"Azurda!" Vaios cheered as he finally got him and Nia pulled up, leaning the unconscious girl on his arm, Azurda veering in the air and turning around, the old Titan's gaze turning to the deck of the derelict ship.

"Jin… still you persist." The Titan remarked, then looking at Malos. "And is that… Malos?!"

"Azurda… so, you're the one who's been watching him." Jin remarked, Azurda flying overhead, Jin grabbing the hilt of his sword. As Azurda flew back and released multiple balls of fire from his mouth, Jin readied his stance, slashing one that came right at him clean from the air. As the flames shot through the air, Azurda veered back around towards Vaios and Nia.

"Vaios, get on!" The Titan shouted, Vaios nodding.

"Pyra, Dromarch, let's get out of here!" Vaios shouted, already running for the edge as he hoisted Nia onto his back, Pyra jumping onto Dromarch's back, the pairs leaping, Azurda passing and catching all of them as they shot off of the ship.

"We're going, hold on tight!" Azurda shouted, Vaios handing Nia off to Dromarch, grabbing tightly as he turned back to look at the ship, a smirk showing a bit as she saw an enraged Malos run to the edge.

"Stop them! Open fire!" Malos screamed as he pointed off at Azurda, the black ship turning it's guns and firing at Azurda, some of the hits landing, a roar going through the air, but, it wasn't enough to stop the Titan. "Turn her around! Ready the cannon!"

"It's no use. They're out of range." Jin said, Malos slamming his hands together.

"Dammit! They gave us the slip…"

"Turn around."

"We're not chasing them?"

"The Aegis is awakened. That's enough for now. I'll have Akhos hunt them down." Jin turned and began walking off, a breath coming out of the man. "So our paths cross again Vaios… who knows, maybe this was fate."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Well that was one hell of a spurt for me… I'd been in a slump for a while before getting a sudden moment of eureka for this, and BOY was it fun to do. Hehehe… and oh the hints I have been dropping. Well then, see ya lot next time! Though now it's gonna be seriously thinking on the party make-up in terms of secondary and tertiary Blades. Hmmm…**


	3. Chapter 3

_A Turn of Fate_

 **Chapter 3: Gormott**

 _ **Argentum, Bana's Office**_

"… _And so Pupunin wisely ran away for dear life."_ Pupunin had just concluded explaining to Bana what had occurred during that job on the derelict ship… and Bana was clearly left vastly perturbed by the news.

"Wise?! Who wise now?! You useless idiot!" Bana shouted, his "wings" slamming onto his desk. "Why can Pupunin not even die properly? What if they ask Bana to repay money, hmm?"

" _Huh? Die? Repay who?"_

"Meh. None of your business. Anyway, tell me where Vaios and Blade went."

" _Vaios, Titan, and friends ran away! Went to south of Cyclus Sea - After that, Bana know as much as Pupunin! Storm was very thick, so Pupunin…"_

"Pupunin lose them yes?" Bana's tone _sounded_ pleasant, but it was obviously meant to be anything but. It was more of a threat.

" _Yes, but-"_

"And then run away like coward?"

" _Y-yes but-"_

"Mhe-meh-meh-meh-meh! Bana not wanting feeble excuses of Pupunin!" Another slam went through the room as Bana leaned forward. "Just get back here! You got lot of work to do!" and the line was cut. "Meh-meh-meh… even pricey insurance Bana take out on _Maelstrom_ go to waste… Still, how interesting. Heading southward from Cyclus Sea… in this season, that likely take them to Gormott. You, girl! Get Consul Dughall on the line immediately!"

"Yes sir. One moment please." The attendant stepped over to the desk and tapped a few times on the keyboard, a few static noises coming through, eventually showing a rather… portly and dreadful looking man dressed in gaudy attire.

" _Why if it isn't Chairman Bana. What an unexpected pleasure."_ The man said, his accent denoting him as someone from Mor Ardian. _"May I just say I admire the way you rebranded those broken Core Crystals. And selling them to the dunderheads back in Mor Ardain – absolutely sublime!"_

"Bana did not call to hear pointless flattery!" Snapped the large Nopon. "And chatting about Core Crystals on unsecured line?! Is Dughall some kind of idiot? What if Indol tap our communication?!"

" _O-Oh, of course! I'm very sorry!"_

"Meh, forget it. We got bigger fishies to fry."

" _Oh? What's going on?"_

"Listen up…"

* * *

" _Down there… outside of Central City, are things… are things really as bad as everybody says they are?"_

" _Sadly Vaios… they are."_

 _Vaios looked over as the man affirmed that to him, the teenager looking downtrodden as his hand pressed against the window. The sight before him was marvelous. On high, high enough that the surface of the world below him could be seen further than any mountain peak could. Below him, he saw expansive lands bordered by deep blue oceans, sparse covers of cloud only hiding patches of the planet from view._

" _All of this, over land? Why? We have the Orbital Stations! And the cities within them are more than enough to house millions, and they're still being expanded… so why? Why is it such a struggle to fight for the planet? Even then… Professor Klaus and his crew are trying their hardest to save it."_

" _That Vaios, I do not know how to answer." The elderly man sighed again, patting Vaios on the head with one hand, attempting to be reassuring. "Maybe you can chalk it down to our natural human nature. We turn on ourselves terrifyingly quickly when we don't have a common enemy to fight. Or maybe it's something else… maybe humanity harbors an innate malice, a desire for destruction. Though, that is horribly cynical of me to believe… but I cannot think of anything more."_

" _But… there has to be hope. As long as there's something to believe in, then there's something better to look forward too."_

" _Hehehe, that is true… you know, I never regretted giving you your name Vaios… do you remember where I got it from?"_

" _Of course I remember, Father… you got it from…"_

* * *

"Ungh…." Vaios groaned as he stirred awake, his head feeling fuzzy from that dream. He wasn't the kind of person who dreamed often, if next to at all honestly. That memory… it felt tinged in melancholy and nostalgia… he couldn't define that old man's face, and he couldn't even remember a name… just that he felt a connection to him, the connection a child has to their parent. Only that he knew the man as his father.

When his eyes finally started to peel open slowly, Vaios took a moment to register things, but once his vision cleared up, he was greeted to the sight of Pyra smiling down at him.

"Pyra?" Vaios muttered.

"Thank goodness. You're not hurt at all, are you?"

"No… I'm, I'm fine. Just drowsy… I've always been quick to heal anyway." Vaios muttered, bringing a hand up to his face, still feeling disoriented. "Where are we right now? I feel… grass, and wind… did we wash up somewhere?"

"I think so. I'm sure where, but we're at least on a Titan."

"That's good to know." Vaios murmured, his eyes going wide as he finally recalled it… the battle from before, the escape they'd made when Azurda came swooping it. It was enough to send him onto full alert and shooting to his feet. "Wait wait, where's Azurda, and Nia and Dromarch?! They were with us!" he looked back to Pyra, who only shook her head. Vaios clicking his tongue as he scanned around, his eyes falling to his sword and Pyra's, both having fallen to the ground and crossed over each other, then taking a deep breath. "Okay, okay Vaios, just calm down. First things first, let's find them. They can't be far from us if we crash landed here after all."

"Okay."

Vaios picked up the two swords on the ground and strapped both to his belt, Pyra following his pace as he hurried off. The locale around the two was covered by a thin mist, but it was an expansive enough forest, enough for Vaios to start scanning around as he started putting his thoughts together. The grass quickly gave way to a marsh, Vaios giving a hum as he scanned around.

"What's up?" Pyra asked, Vaios putting a hand on his chin, starting to tilt his head back and forth as the leg he was putting his weight on also shifted.

"A forest with lower marshlands… and that area we were in wasn't far from the Cyclus Sea." Vaios murmured, tapping a foot to go along with his other little movements. "At this time of year, if Azurda had flown south then… I think we're on Gormott."

"Really? I mean, I was here a few times for… reasons, but, I'm not familiar with a place like this." Pyra said, taking Vaios's hand as he held it out on offer, helping guide her along the edge of the marsh, namely so they could keep away from the creatures milling around in it.

"Gormott's got a few lower areas deeper in. During high-tide you can't get down there due to the thick layer of fog making it impossible to see. Which would also mean, luckily, it's low-tide right now." Vaios explained, pulling out his anchor gun, closing an eye as he took aim, firing the anchor and getting it lodged in the upper part of a tree. With a nob, Pyra held on as he reeled it, swinging the two over to another spot of land. Once they landed, Vaios reeled the anchor back in, Pyra looking back at where they left. "And with that in mind, it at least narrows a few things down."

"Good to know." Pyra learned over some large roots, a hand over her eyes, and it led to a gasp. "Vaios, over there! I see something big. I think… it is, it's Azurda!"

"Well then no time to waste!" Vaios hurriedly said, jumping over the root and dashing off, Pyra hot on his heels. Just as the Blade girl had said, it really was Azurda, laying on the ground and _certainly_ looking like he'd seen better days, not at all helped by the large bolts sticking into his hide. "Azurda!"

"It is good to see you uninjured, Vaios." The old Titan's eyes shifted open, Pyra looking horrified to see what the Titan had endured.

"How awful…" Pyra murmured, Vaios pacing around a bit.

"Come on come on think! There's gotta be a way to help. Some medicine or… no, human medicine wouldn't work on a Titan!" Vaios bit his thumb a bit, and he stopped pacing when Azurda weakly reached out and tapped him with one of his claws.

"You are a kind child Vaios, it is your strongest quality. But, there are some things that cannot be avoided." Azurda said, Vaios's jaw tightening. "Weep not, my boy. This is my fate."

"But… come on there at least has to be something! Come on Azurda… Rex… what the hell am I gonna tell him huh?! Come on, you can't just go and leave the both of us!" Vaios said, Azurda giving a weak chuckle, though it did nothing at all to eased the pained look on Vaios's face. "Come on Azurda… please… I can't… I don't want to lose anything else."

"No parting is forever. We will surely meet again when the flow of the ether wills it." Azurda's words came with his body beginning to glow all over with flecks of light drifting off, Vaios and Pyra's eyes going wide. "The days with you and Rex were the best I ever had. Until we meet again, Vaios…"

"No… nononononono!" Vaios's frantic words halted when Azurda's body vanished into light, and all he could do as the particles drifted by him was fall to his knees, his hands balling up before he punched the ground, his jaw tight as tears fell onto the dirt, Pyra looking away.

"I told you not to cry, didn't I Vaios?" A softer, but all too familiar voice spoke, Vaios blinking a few times as only a confused noise escaped his throat.

"Huh?" Vaios himself didn't know what the actual noise was, only that he felt entirely confused… or maybe he was just going crazy. Actually… maybe he was, because when he looked down, he saw something _small_ in front of him… something small and lizard like, but covered in fur. "What."

"What?" Pyra's reaction was similar, she and Vaios exchanging a glance, though Vaios's eyes started to look shadowed over as well.

"I'm not going crazy am I?" Vaios muttered, "Azurda… that's you… right? I'm not… I'm not going nuts from grief?" his voice was… bizarrely calm now. Enough Pyra actually looked a bit on edge.

"Use your eyes! Don't you recognize me?" Azurda(?) said, his tail wagging about. He didn't seem to catch on Vaios's eyes betrayed the fact there was a broiling inferno rising up in him.

"Um, well… not really, no." Pyra answered, Vaios letting out a forced, hollow sounding laugh. "Uh oh…"

"Answers. _Now."_ Was all Vaios said as he stood up and folded his arms.

* * *

"So you see, by maximizing cellular regeneration to retain all vital bodily functions, I seem to have reverted to a larval stage." Azurda concluded a rather long said explanation about what had _really_ just happened, the tiny wings of his new form somehow managing to ride him up to Vaios and Pyra's eye level. The former, for one, _looked_ calm, but his eyes were burning as a foot also impatiently tapped on the grass.

"Well that's certainly useful. Didn't know titans could do _that!"_ Vaios had venom on his voice as he leaned forward, a scarily pleasant smile on his face, yet _also_ while cracking his knuckles. "So, hey, Azurda, remember the other day when you got mad at me for not giving the full details of a job? THIS IS COMEUPPANCE YOU OLD COOT!"

Within a moment, Vaios had lunged at the now tiny Titan, Azurda flitting out of the way, Vaios not giving up the chase as he finally just couldn't hold it in anymore, chasing Azurda around the clearing with reckless regard.

"How do ya' think I felt huh?! You were going off like you really were dying!"

"Well this wasn't something I planned now!"

"Oh didn't have it planned?! How convenient for _you_ old timer! I on the other hand, am not gonna be getting back the emotional issues you've just founded in me! GET BACK HERE YOU STUPID SUGAR GLIDER! LET ME THROTTLE YOU!"

"I do quite apologize for that! Honestly! But please calm down and stop chasing me Vaios, for crying out loud! This larval body may be younger but it's vastly weaker!"

"Good! I'll just wear you down until I catch up!"

As she was watching the chase go down, Pyra couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the sight, especially once Vaios actually _caught_ Azurda, and began doing what he promised, throttling the larval Titan as he vented at him in almost incomprehensible angrish.

"Alright Vaios, I think that's enough. I think Azurda's learned his lesson." Pyra gently said, Vaios ceasing his shaking of Azurda, taking in a deep breath, then releasing the Titan.

"Fine." Vaios crossed his arms, huffing a bit when Pyra pat him on the shoulder. "So old man? How long till you're back to your old self?"

"Good question. No more than 300 years." Azurda answered, Vaios drawing in a sharp breath.

"300?! Dammit we can't wait that long! Wait… what about Rex!" Vaios snapped, Azurda waving his arms. "Did you just ditch him at Argentum?! Or did he come along and we just didn't see him!"

"I was meaning to explain that." Azurda said, hovering again. "Not long after you left, Rex actually left for another job with that crew the two of you are friendly with. Not long after, I myself left to follow after you."

"Okay, that makes sense… dammit how the shit are we gonna explain this to Rex next time we see him?" Vaios muttered, then kneeling down as he held his head. "Dammit also means all my stuff is gone too! Ahhhhh, that sucks! I had a lot of good books stashed in the cabin! Awww… that also means my collection is gone too. DAMMIT!"

"Perhaps this an opportunity to fly the nest." Azurda said, Vaios giving him an accusing glare.

"You are not off the hook by a long shot, got it?" Vaios growled, pointing a finger at the Titan, sighing again. "But… I shouldn't waste time snapping at you. We still need to find Nia and Dromarch. When we do, we should head for Torigoth. There, we can at least rest a bit, and I can check with the local information broker for any news. And… I'm glad you're alright Azurda."

Azurda gave Vaios a little thumbs up. And then promptly flitted over and dropped himself into the teens hood, Vaios lurching a bit from the sudden move.

"So, who's Nia and Dromarch? Are they that Driver and Blade from before?" Azurda asked, Vaios nodding.

"Yeah. They kinda saved my ass during that fight. I owe 'em both for their help." Vaios answered.

"I do hope they're alright." Pyra said, Vaios putting his hands behind his head.

"Azurda, anything from your end?"

"Well, I remember crashing through a lot of trees before landing here. They probably fell off then." Azurda said, Vaios giving a hum.

"Well it's not much, but it's something. And something is always better than nothing. Besides, Gormott ain't a super big place, and since she's from here I don't doubt Nia knows her way to Torigoth. If we don't find them while we're making our own way there, then the odds are we will once we do get to town."

"If we're trying to find a way up, why not follow the trail of broken trees?" Pyra suggested, pointing to the nearby gorge where the wreckages of multiple massive trees were made clear, Vaios nodding.

"Good idea, let's follow that then."

"By the way, Vaios." Azurda moved to Vaios's shoulder, the teen looking at the Titan. "Is that a Core Crystal I see shining on your chest? Just what happened to you?"

"Huh? Oh, this?" Vaios looked down to where Azurda was pointing, edging aside a bit of his shirt and his pendant's chain, then letting both go, looking back to Azurda. "I'll tell you later. Right now, finding Nia and Dromarch is the priority. So come on, back in the hood with you if that's where you're gonna camp."

"Well it does make a nice change." Azurda mused, hopping back and wriggling into Vaios's hood again.

"Alright then, off we go." Vaios waved forward as he trotted off to the gorge, the path very quickly coming out to a massive, winding tree, one that had rope railings on it. "Well that at least tells us people do actually come down this way."

"Which means we're already on the right track." Pyra noted, Vaios nodding as they started heading up the natural path. "Still… would be better without all of this fog."

"It's not too thick… but yeah you can barely see the next layer above us." Vaios leaned out a bit, only just making out the silhouette of even more trees far above them. The trek continuing on, the trio came to an actual man-made metal bridge which connected the two parts of this area… that unfortunately had a massive tree stuck on it halfway. "Well… damn. Wait, actually… Pyra, you're a Fire Blade, right? Can you burn this tree out of our way?"

"Of course. You need only ask." Pyra flicked her fingers a bit, letting bright flames light up on them, taking a step towards the massive tree. With a mere wave, the flames at Pyra's hand flew out, burning away the tree within mere seconds. "There we go, path clear."

"Then onward." The Driver and Blade continued on the well worn path, and as they headed up more the fog actually began letting up, at least somewhat. Once they reached the crest of the hill, Vaios hopped up onto some high rocks to look around, and he let out a chuckle as he jumped back down. "Alright! I recognize this place, this is the Old Ghostwood Forest! We're _definitely_ on Gormott if that's the case."

"Ah yes, I remember now." Azurda murmured. "You went exploring here last year after you came here with another crew for a salvaging job in town. People were worried half to death about you since you went so far."

"Ah come on I was fine." Vaios casually waved his hand, Pyra chuckling… though the mirth halted when they all heard something. "Hear that? Is someone fighting?"

"I feel a movement in the ether." Pyra noted. "It feels like a Driver is using a Blade in battle. I'm certain of it."

"That's gotta be Nia and Dromarch! Come on let's go!"

"Okay."

Vaios and Pyra immediately hurried off, and once they were over the hill, just as guessed, they found Nia and Dromarch, the pair face to face with a massive Brog, the large toad-creature bouncing with each step it took. Not wasting a bit of time at all, Vaios whipped out Pyra's sword, a blast of flame flying from the blade as he swung it, Nia and Dromarch looking over in surprise as the blast made the Brog lurch back.

"Yo! About time we found you!" Vaios chuckled, skidding to a stop, Nia staring at him in surprise.

"Vaios?! What are you doing here?" Nia asked, Vaios giving a snide smirk as he leaned on one leg.

"Same reason as you shorty." Vaios answered, batting aside the Brog's tongue when it lashed it at him, the fire-blade of his weapon searing the tongue. "That's just gross."

"My lady, now's our chance to attack." Dromarch said, Nia taking her stance again.

"All right then!"

Vaios led off as the Brog attacked again, Nia stepping past the swipe of the blubbery arm and Vaios swinging his blade as he landed, the fiery edge searing the animal's hide as it passed through. The blow got it to rear up, the two Drivers spinning around and using their weapons to dice open the creature's belly with clean shots, downing it with that.

"Quick and… mostly clean… ugh that smells." Vaios pinched his nose as the stench of the Brog's guts hit the air, nobody needing another word before they got moving to another area, Nia turning to Vaios and Pyra once they were in the clear.

"So why are you guys even… Well, I guess that's a stupid question." Nia murmured, Dromarch nodding.

"Indeed." The polite Blade said.

"Joking aside, nice to see you two. Seriously, I owe ya' both for saving our hides during that fight." Vaios said, Nia scoffing a bit as she moved a hand near her face in an almost pawing motion.

"Oh please it wasn't much of anything. But, right back at you." Nia said, giving a hum. "Hey, by the way, what happened to that big guy who saved us? The Titan?"

"Azurda… well, heh, he's not so big anymore." Vaios said, craning his head a bit, Azurda popping out onto his shoulder.

"Are you talking about me?" Azurda asked, Nia looking like she'd taken a double take.

"What?!"

"Yeah we had the same reaction." Vaios muttered, a hand behind his head. "Though involved a bit more rage, but that's beside the point. But uh, well… heh, that one's a long one. Look, right now, we need to find a place to rest first off. We can catch up once we're at a town or something. I know these woods, so it makes it easier on us. We managed to land on Gormott, luckily enough."

"That does make things quite easy." Dromarch added, looking at Nia, "Seeing as this _is_ my Lady's home."

"Can't argue there. I know Gormott pretty well myself." Nia said. "I'm guessin' we'll be aimin' to reach Torigoth then?"

"That's the idea." Vaios said, looking around. "But… we should at least take a moment. I'll tell you everything that happened, best to get it out of the way now, right?"

"Of course."

* * *

"I see, so you two are off to Elysium." The party was now seated around a fire, lit by Pyra, Vaios having just summed up the general events of things leading up to this point on his end, Nia humming for a moment more, then looking at Azurda. "Listen, I never thanked you properly, for saving us, I mean. Dromarch said that you carried us all the way here."

"We owe you our lives, Titan." Dromarch said, bowing his head to the small Titan.

"No need to thank me." Azurda remarked, folding his arms. "After all, you are the ones who saved Vaios."

"Don't mention it." Nia muttered, looking away for a moment. "So, you Titans can regenerate. Pretty handy."

"If only." Vaios muttered, leaning on a hand. "Apparently only a Titan as, quote, "advanced", unquote, as Azurda can pull that off… would be way easier for everyone on Alrest of Titans just recycled themselves."

"This isn't something just any old Titan…"

"Azurda, please don't finish that line."

"Excuse me! I'd like less of that attitude." Azurda only got a huff out of Vaios. "If you had listened to me and not taken that reckless job, then we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Yeah but then… then I wouldn't have met Pyra." Vaios said, folding his hands. "I'm getting closer Azurda… or at least, now I'm on the right path. Now I actually have a direction to aim for, a road in front of me that may actually let me find the answers about who I am, and about the memories I lost five years ago. Sure it was reckless but… I can't help but feel like something this was meant to happen, at least in some way. Besides… I had so many flashes during that job, no… more accurately, from the people I was with."

"What, you mean Jin and Malos? Do you know them?" Nia asked, Vaios leaning on his other hand.

"I think so." Vaios murmured. "When Jin uh… stabbed me, he apologized, and said "this time, don't bother coming back"… so… that does at least tell me that much. Seems like I at least knew _him_ in the past. I just don't know how or in what way."

At that, Azurda looked pensive, the Titan giving a long hum, Vaios looking at him.

"Azurda?"

"Well, I can at least confirm you and Jin do actually know one another." Azurda answered, Vaios and Nia going wide eyed. "I can't say much more than that though… but, in the past, you two were friends… keyword being _were._ Whatever has happened to Jin since I last saw him, well… he's not the same man you knew back then."

"Wait you… Azurda you're talking like you actually knew me before I lost my memories." Vaios said, Azurda nodding. "What?!"

"I didn't feel it appropriate to tell you at first." Azurda said, Vaios's eyes going even wider. "Do you remember the first thing you said after you awoke at Leftheria? The first person you saw was me, and what first came out of your mouth was my name. So, yes Vaios, I do know who you are… but, those are not answers I feel I can just tell you."

"… as much as I feel frustrated you never told me… I actually agree." Vaios said, giving a chuckle. "I don't like just being told things after all, you'd know that. But… promise me this old man, whenever I ask questions from now on, give me a straight answer, alright?"

"Well admittedly there's some answers I can't give because it would be awkward." Azurda said, Vaios raising a confused brow. "Also, to be clear I didn't know you for very long either. I only know scant details, but I can say this… you haven't changed a bit."

"Wait, you're just okay with that?" Nia said, her expression confused. "The Titan knows who you are, but you're just fine with him not telling you everything?"

"I did say I didn't know Vaios very well back then." Azurda said. "The answers I could give are few and far between, or things I'd rather spare him from learning from the mouth of another."

"Look, whatever it is Nia, I don't think it's a big deal, right now anyway." Vaios said. "I'll find my answers my own way… besides, knowing that, now I _really_ can't let Jin and that Malos guy get their hands on Pyra. I have no idea why they want her, aside her power I guess. But… I just have a bad feeling about it, so I won't let it happen."

"Vaios… thank you." Pyra nodded, Vaios chuckling, the stretching his arms and laying down.

"Alright… we should rest a bit. We'll head off to Torigoth after we wake up."

"Sounds good to me." Nia said, reclining back on Dromarch.

* * *

It was only a short while later, but Vaios and Nia were already fast asleep, Nia having gone from reclining on Dromarch to being sprawled on his beck, while Vaios was using an arm for a pillow. Pyra, otherwise, hadn't slept at all, now sitting at the edge of the nearby spring, staring out across it.

"Still awake I see." Azurda said, hovering over to the Blade.

"I can't seem to get to sleep." Pyra replied, looking back at Vaios for a moment, then upwards. "It's good to see you again… Azurda."

"Likewise. Though you've changed a lot since we last met, Pyra." Azurda said, then chuckling. "But, I'm sure Vaios recognized you the moment he saw you, even without realizing it."

"Yeah… he remembered her name when he saw me. Even though I could feel he didn't fully remember… I couldn't help but feel glad he at least had an inkling of back then… and… I felt, happy… happy to know he was alive. Heh… in the end, he really did keep his promise."

"I wanted to thank you. For saving him. I've been looking after Vaios for five years now, to the point I consider him like a child." Azurda said, "And I need to know – what you told him, is that really what you intended?"

"If it had been anybody else… I'm not sure, odds are, no. I still want to go to Elyisum, at the least I know that for sure." Pyra said, looking back at the sleeping Vaios again. "But… when I look right at him, and see that he really is there in front of me… I'm not sure what I meant now. I can't help but wonder a bit… if _she_ was awake, how would she react? I wonder if she'd feel this same sense of holding back as I am now. I want to tell him so much, to help fix those memories he lost but…"

"It's fine." Azurda said. "Like I said, there's some things I wish to spare him having to hear from someone else. You know him well enough. Vaios is the kind of person who likes to find things out with little help… the mere fact you've done this much, to set him on this path, is more than enough for him. I can't help but wonder if this was fate… so many people from that time are crossing roads once more."

"Yes… with all of that said, I do have one other goal now."

"Jin and Malos."

"I cannot let them continue on their current course. Maybe you're right… maybe this is fate."

"I would question you getting Vaios mixed up in this but… well, he is the person who Addam entrusted you too. Your fate and his were tied together long ago." Azurda then chuckled again. "Besides, even if you did try to keep him out of it, Vaios is stubborn. He'd find a way to get mixed up in it anyway. He's a troublesome lad, too curious for his own good."

"Of course he would… that's just the way he is." Pyra mused, putting a hand near her Core Crystal.

"I see half of the Core Crystal is missing. You've taken on quite the burden."

"Azurda, I…"

"Promise me you'll take care of Vaios."

"I will."

* * *

Morning had finally come, and Vaios was one of the first up, giving a wide yawn as he also picked up his weapons, Nia stirring awake too, tumbling off of Dromarch's back as she shifted around.

"Alright, that helped." Vaios murmured, rolling his shoulders. "Okay, time to get moving. We should try to get to Torigoth today. Nia, you know your way around these woods?"

"A bit. I at least know we're around Gormott's belly area, judging from height. I'm not really familiar with this area in full though." Nia said, looking off around the path. "But considering the path looks used, we should be able to find our way to Torigoth easy enough by following it."

"Yeah… then, we keep heading up. We'll hit the plains in no time that way, I'm sure." Vaios noted, looking up as the path wound up deeper and higher into the woods. "No point wasting time, let's go."

With nods all around, Vaios kicked out the fire and they proceeded onwards up the large tree's body. At the top of it, they were immediately faced with ivy covered cliffs… and no seeming way up.

"Well, I guess we've gotta climb." Nia said, hopping onto Dromarch's back.

"Orrrrr…." Vaios reached to his left hip and pulled out his anchor gun, aiming at the higher edge. "I can just do this! Pyra, hold on for a second."

"Uh, alright."

Pyra did as requested, grabbing tight to Vaios's chest, and he let the anchor loose. Without a moment to spare from it, he began reeling it in as he leapt off the ground, pulling him and Pyra (plus Azurda) up to the lip of the second, smaller cliff, the pair then clambering up to the top, Vaios chuckling as he pulled the anchor out of the wall, looking down at Nia.

"How's about that!" Vaios laughed, Nia giving a scoff.

"Oh now he's just showin' off." Nia muttered, Dromarch giving a chuckle. "Well, can't let him beat us now. Come on Dromarch!"

"As you wish my lady." Dromarch nodded, leaning down for a moment, then taking off. The feline Blade moved quickly, bounding onto the wall and shooting up past, then jumping up from there to the next and shooting right past Vaios and Pyra, getting him and Nia up to the clearing in record time.

"How's about that?" Nia said, her own snide smirk on, Vaios chuckling as he turned around.

"Alright, that was impressive. Come on, we got one more to go."

The process the two Driver and Blade pairs used to get up repeated, the party coming to another clearing leading further up… and yet _another_ fallen tree blocking their path. Without another word to it, Pyra let out a burst of flames to clear the tree, opening up the path for them to keep going, and now, they could actually see some proper light further up as they continued through the cave-like tunnel formed by the trees.

"Ah, about time!" Nia said, tapping Dromarch a bit to edge him further, the group making their way to the mouth of the "cave", sunlight beginning to wash over them as they exited onto a cliff side, and once they were out and could see the view, Vaios gave an impressed whistle.

"Damn… this is one hell of a view! Wish I had a camera with me." Vaios chuckled as he shaded his eyes and looked out at the area spread before them. A wide swathe of open green plains, on one side edged by a forest, and the other cliffs that dropped to the cloud sea. Moving about and visible due to it's massive side was the neck and head of Gormott itself, and from their position on the cliff, Vaios could see the outline of a town on the other end of the plains as well. "And there's Torigoth!"

"This is definitely worth a picture." Pyra said, Azurda nodding.

"I'll accompany you as far as the city." Nia said, Vaios and Pyra turning to her. "After that, I'm afraid you're on your own."

"What, don't wanna tag along on this grand venture of ours?" Vaios snarkily said, Nia looking at him with a smirk.

"As wonderful as that idea sounds Vaios, fact of the matter is I can't be seen with you. Don't forget I worked with Jin and Malos." Nia said, Vaios putting a hand on his chin.

"Right… I wouldn't be surprised if news started getting around. There might be wanted posters up already… not to mention Gormott is a province of Mor Ardain. They're some of the last people you wanna mess with. But, still…"

"I haven't known them very long, but, you know. They're still my crew." Nia said, Vaios sighing.

"Really? You'd say that even after they tried to kill you?" Vaios said, looking cross at that kind of remark. "I get trying to give people chances but I think attempted murder crosses a certain line."

"That's as may be. But, they're the closest thing I have to a family." Nia said, Vaios giving a long sigh, folding his arms.

"Well, I can definitely understand _that._ But, still." Vaios just sighed again, Nia not answering.

"Let's go." Nia turned off and took the lead, Vaios putting a hand to his head.

"Let's just keep moving. We'll have to see how things go later." Pyra said, Vaios nodding, stepping off to continue their trek.

The path led the party down from the knoll and through another small cave, but that led right into the vast plains before them. When they moved onto the road, Vaios took note of a particular gathering of a bunch of large roots that twisted about and formed arches. Vaios looked back, and though the road didn't seem to lead anywhere but the to the ledge, he had another flash… he saw a small but busy dock, docked at it, a massive Titan-ship. The flash ended, Vaios blinking as the sight returned to normal.

"Hey, Nia, do you know if there was ever a dock for ships around this area?" Vaios asked, Nia stopping and looking back at him.

"I don't know. Best I know is of the docks in Torigoth that were built by Mor Ardain… though I haven't been back here in quite some time, so things might have changed." Nia said. "Now shut up and keep moving."

"No need to be huffy." Vaios sighed again and the trek continued, and as the party got closer to Torigoth, Vaios did take notice of one main thing: There were some _big_ monsters roaming around the area. "Well… that must be troublesome."

"I think they won't bother us so long as we don't come off as a threat." Pyra said, Vaios shrugging. When they finally got close to Torigoth, the path went from the beaten dirt to a built up pathway that also led up to an arch, heading into the city beyond it… and Vaios froze again, his mind flashing once more.

He saw the arch, but rather than being surrounded by walls, it was trees… and there wasn't a city, just a burnt out husk of a village, strewn with ash and still burning in some parts.

"Whoa…" Vaios lurched a bit as the flash ended, a hand on his head.

"Vaios, you okay?" Pyra asked, putting a hand on Vaios's shoulder, the boy nodding.

"I'm good… just another flash… still… this place really grew huh?" Vaios murmured, feeling a sudden wave of confusion at the line. "I've… I've been here before. And I don't mean from other visits… I mean from before I lost my memories."

"Yeah." Pyra said, giving a nod, Vaios looking at her as he stood straight. "But… it was a long time ago, when things were very, _very_ different."

"Huh… thanks for confirming that one." Vaios hummed, looking around at the buildings as they went past the archway. "Still, least we made it… ahh man, I'm looking forward to that hotel."

"It hasn't changed a bit." Nia murmured, a sad look on her face, Pyra picking up on the melancholy.

"Nia?" Pyra said, Nia shaking her head.

"It's nothing." Nia said, "Okay then, I'll show ya' to the inn, and then I'm out of here."

"Really Nia, you don't have to skip town. Honestly we're not planning to stay here for too long, just enough to get our bearings and some supplies. I'm planning to take the first ship back to Argentum I can get… that or find a Titan ship I can use myself so we can head towards the World Tree… though there is the Abyss to tend with." Vaios put his hand to his chin again as he hummed, Nia shaking her hed.

"Again Vaios, I appreciate the offer, but I can't." Nia went off with that, Vaios just shrugging once more.

They proceeded onward, Vaios scanning around the place, his eyes passing over the notice board for a moment… and then he treaded back because he noticed the wanted posters… and so did Nia. The first two were mostly accurate sketches of Jin and Malos, but the last one though… well he could tell it was _supposed_ to be a rendition of Nia because of the hairstyle, but as for the _features…_

"What the bloody hell is this?! Don't tell me that's meant to be ME!?" Nia _definitely_ saw it. It was not at all accurate to say the least at all. More like somebody had gone and meshed Dromarch's face onto Nia's and made it snarl.

"A remarkable likeness to say the least." Dromarch joked, Nia shooting the Blade a glare.

"Oi, did you say somethin'?!"

"Ah, er, no. I fear they may have conflated out countenances, my lady."

"Looks more like someone just got lazy… or was trying to be insulting." Vaios said, folding his arms, tilting his head, Pyra leaning in, nodding in agreement with Vaios as she looked at the poster.

"Grrr… hsssss!" Nia then completely snapped and, as if she _were_ an actual cat, started hissing mad as she clawed the poster down and began furiously ripping it apart, tossing the scraps to the wind when she was done with it.

"Uh… alright… hey, actually… what's with the commotion?" Vaios turned around and pointed out the massive crowd gathered in the square, everyone following suit, and they all merged in with it, Vaios leaning up to see more, and he blnked when he saw soldiers dressed in the same uniforms as the one's he'd seen back at Argentum. "Ardanian soldiers… and a Core Crystal. Huh, they're looking for a Driver."

"Ah yeah." Nia said, folding her arms. "They've been recruiting Drivers from all over. Trying to bolster their forces before war breaks out with Uraya I bet."

"Yeah. Tensions are thick enough that Argentum has been making selling arms and Core Crystals a top priority if you wanna make good cash. Rex was totally against it… though I was never against selling off Core Crystals when I dug 'em up, not like I was using them." Vaios said, leaning one hand on the hilt of his red sword, grasping it a bit.

"The pool of potentials is ever shrinking as well." Dromarch said. "They must have run out of candidates in the military."

"Well, why don't we see what happens?" Vaios suggested, everyone else nodding. The crowd made it hard to hear much even with the Ardianian soldiers yelling to be heard. Vaios's scanning at first caught a Gormotti teenager going forward, but the boy was stopped by younger kids who were likely his siblings. He didn't have to think much to guess they were trying to ward him off from it. "See that? Even those kids must get how dangerous of a risk you're taking by trying to resonate."

"Yeah. If you don't have the right potential, at worst attempting to resonate could kill you." Pyra said. As she spoke, Vaios caught sight of a gruff looking Gormotti man shoving his way past the kids, and with a loud declaration, he grabbed onto the Core Crystal… but rather than a shine, his entire body began shuddering wildly.

"Yeah, he's done for." Nia noted, Vaios wincing.

"This is gonna get messy." Vaios muttered.

In time to the cold remarks, the man's shuddering suddenly froze, and bursts of blue energy flew from his body, promptly being followed by a visible bursting of the vessels on him, the crowd screaming as blood sprayed _everywhere_ , the man falling back, totally still, not a spark of life left in his body. Pyra for one looked horrified, while Vaios and Nia both just grimaced.

"You never get used to seeing that. Poor guy, his potential must've been totally non-existent for the rejection to hit _that_ badly." Vaios muttered, giving an "ech" as two of the three soldiers went and dragged the body off.

"Most likely. But, can't put too much blame. Poor sod knew the risk going in." Nia remarked, Vaios nodding.

"Thus is the price one pays if they are not compatible with a Core Crystal." Dromarch said. "Truly lamentable."

"Yeah. That risk is why I didn't even wanna try resonating with one myself. Not that I didn't think about it, I just didn't want to take that risk. I kinda like living." Vaios murmured, putting his arms behind his head as he spoke, and Pyra looked at him for a moment, a wistful smile showing on her face.

"Oi, look, that kid's actually gonna give it a shot." Nia pulled attention back to the ongoing proceedings, Vaios turning to see that, indeed, the Gormotti teenager had stepped up to the Core Crystal himself. When he placed his hand on it, rather than suddenly shuddering, a bright glow began coming from the Core Crystal, and Nia gave a little smirk. "Well well, kid has the aptitude."

"Good for him." Vaios hummed. When the shine from the event finally faded, the teenager now found himself holding a large spear, which was rather plain looking for a Blade weapon. A ball of light that had come from the teen also took form, the Blade being, just like it's weapon, plain. Unlike the exotic looking Dromarch or the totally indistinguishable from a normal human Pyra, this Blade had something of an artificial look to it, an appearance that looked uniform and, without any better words for it, plain and generic. "Well he resonated, but he didn't get a Rare type."

"Guess luck wasn't with him." Nia remarked. "Must be a young Blade I suppose. All the Rare Blades are ones that have been around for ages as far as most people know."

"Yeah… but then we have Pyra." Vaios mused, smiling a bit as Pyra got caught up in the joy of the crowd. "The Aegis huh? I've got one hell of a special case for a Blade on my hands."

"Normal rules don't apply to her. All that business with sharing her life force… that's not exactly normal at all." Nia hummed, Vaios putting a few fingers to the Core Crystal fragment on his chest.

"Yeah… still, I don't even know what "the Aegis" means… All I know about it is that apparently, 500 years ago, Addam the Hero of Torna used it. So if Pyra is this Aegis… then she had to have the guy pretty well." Vaios muttered. _"And then there's my own connection to him… did… did I seriously know Addam? That's impossible… that was 500 years ago, how could that even happen?"_

"Well, just ask her yourself, since you seem the type to be asking a bunch of questions." Nia turned with that, heading off down another, not quite blocked path. "Well, let's go. No use sitting around for the enrollment ceremony and all that boring stuff."

"Yeah. Come on, let's go." Vaios tapped Pyra on the shoulder, the girl nodding and matching pace as he began following after Nia, who started leading them down the path and through all the shops, Vaios immediately starting to window browse as they walked along. "Hmm, some good stuff here don't ya think? Good thing I still got my money with me, I can actually afford to buy some supplies."

"Good, that'll be necessary. If you get me the right ingredients, I can also cook something up for dinner tonight too." Pyra said, Vaios's head snapping to look at her.

"Seriously!? Hehehe, damn that'd be awesome! I've been living off whatever frickin' sea creatures I fished up for the past week! The last good meal I ate was at Agrentum's restaurant." Vaios's laughing stopped when his stomach chose _then_ to rumble loudly. "Ehehehe… I also just realized I haven't eaten a thing in over a day."

"Well then I'll be sure to make something good tonight." Pyra said, Vaios pumping a fist, Nia rolling her eyes as she glanced back at the two of them.

"Eesh… they're gettin' along almost too well ain't they?" Nia murmured, Dromarch chuckling. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing… just that those two have a good synergy with one another." Dromarch remarked. The street the party had gone onto had now pulled them well away from any crowd of other people, and they came to a stop for a moment, Vaios then giving a hum.

"Y'know, I never really gave it much thought since I never tried it, but that whole resonating thing is kinda incredible." Vaios said, again having a hand on his chin while tilting his head. "I wonder what goes into it? It's gotta have some kind of scientific process if only certain people can actually use them safely."

"Hehe, be careful about what ya' say Vaios. Say that around an Indoline and they might try an' lynch ya for blasphemy." Nia sniped, Vaios giving a dry chuckle.

"Funny one Nia."

"We Blades start out formless, anchored only to the world by our Core Crystal." Pyra said, gesturing to her own. "Only the touch of a potential can imbue us with form and being."

"I know that much." Vaios replied, "But again, I think there _has_ to be some process behind it. Like, I dunno, think about why some Blades that are Rares look almost exactly like humans with little to no different. Pyra is special since she's the Aegis and all, but Rares? I wonder… maybe it has something to do with imprints left by their Drivers? I've even heard rumors there's some monsters out there that can resonate with Blades."

"Seriously? Ugh, that's kind of a scary idea. I don't know what the 'ell I'd do if I came across some big creepy crawlie with a Blade latched to it." Nia let out a hum with that, Dromarch nodding along.

"It would quite a perilous idea. Still, in such an event, collecting the Core Crystal would be ideal." Dromarch pointed out, the others nodding.

"Yet there isn't actually any explanation behind why Blades work the way they do. Perhaps only the fated touch of a Driver is what gives them form." Azurda said, Vaios muttering.

"Yeah, or that's just the crap filler explanation Indol tells everyone." Vaios folded his arms, humming deeply. "I like to believe every mystery has an explanation behind it. Even something like this must have something going on in a deeper level than we know."

"Well, for now, the connection between a Driver and Blade is still a mysterious thing." Pyra said, Vaios shrugging in response.

"Halt! Nobody move!"

When a new voice came, everybody jumped back, quickly finding themselves surrounded by a contingent of Mor Ardianian soldiers on both sides of them.

"Well shit." Vaios muttered. "Uhm… so can I ask what the hell is going on here?"

"That fugitive in your company is an enemy of the state! A member of Torna!" The lead soldier shouted, Vaios letting out a breath.

"Okay, first off, how the hell did you know it was her? That wanted poster was terrible. Second… that uh, has an explanation." Vaios responded, still not dropping his guard at all.

"It's her all right. Gormotti Driver, white beast-form Blade. She looks exactly like the wanted poster!"

"I beg to fuckin' differ!" Vaios snapped, sighing. "Look, I get it's a thing but come on, I doubt any of us have time for this… so… can we do this the easy and just talk it out?"

"Hmph… now as for you." The soldier said, Vaios growling as he was just ignored. "You look like a Driver too. What's your registration number?"

"Uhhh… since when was that a thing? Can I uh… get away with saying this was by chance and I'm just uh, unregistered? So uh, let me go peacefully and do that?" Vaios said, giving a kind of nervous chuckle.

"Knock it off. All new Drivers must register with Indol."

"Of course this is their fault…"

"No number means you must be an illegal, unregistered Driver!"

"Did you _not_ listen to me when I suggested to let me go do that?! Not a very fair way to treat travelers don't ya think?!"

"You're comin' with me! We'll see what the consul has to say about this!"

"Okay… hard way it is then!" Vaios, sick and tired of just being ignored, put his hand to his Blade weapon, ready to draw it out, Nia tapping his arm. "What?"

"Vaios, Dromarch and I are gonna make our move. When we do, run." Nia said, Vaios shaking his head.

"No way no how. These idiots obviously aren't gonna let me go for this stupid Indol related bullshit. I know you don't like the idea, but I suppose we're officially partners in crime."

"Oh you stupid… just take the chance and run! Quit playin' the hero!"

"Who said I'm playing the hero? I'm just pissed off."

"Heh, I think I'm actually starting to like you Vaios. But, this is our problem, not yours!"

"Really? Cause I'm sure that captain wants to arrest all of us. So it kind _is_ my problem now!"

"You're stubborn… alright, fine, we go on three. I go left, you go right."

"Hehe… got it."

"Y-You're goin' to resist?!" The captain of the soldiers jumped back in surprise, Vaios smirking at the man.

"Obviously!" Vaios said.

"One… two…" Nia said.

"A-Alright men! We've got them outnumbered – move in and take them down!" The captain shouted, all of the soldiers drawing weapons, simple bayonet equipped firearms.

"THREE!" Nia shouted, she and Vaios drawing their Blade weapons.

"Cute that they think numbers mean anything against a pair of Drivers." Vaios slid down as one of the soldiers charged, immediately kicking the man away and blocking with his sword with the other struck at him, swiping the firearm away and slashing himself, forcing the man back.

Nia was quick to pounce as well, knocking down the first of the four soldiers at her end with a quick blow to the head, Dromarch making a barrier to block the shots. The men were then pushed back by a blast of fire from Vaios, who then drew his longsword and threw the red sword to Pyra, who swept it around to force all of the other soldiers back while Vaios countered and struck with the flat of his blade, catching the red blade when Pyra tossed it back to him, using both weapons to block attacks coming from both sides of him, sweeping both swords up to push the soldiers back, leaping over and smashing one down with the flat of his longsword to keep him down.

"Vaios!" Nia kicked one soldier back, Vaios chuckling as the man stumbled towards him, jumping up and kicking the man down, slamming his longsword into the sheath and moving his other sword to his back, letting it catch the captain's weapon as he brought it down on him, tossing the man over his shoulders and at Nia, who wheeled her rings through the air and used them to send the man flying off. "Come on, let's go, now!"

"Right!" Vaios turned as he bat another soldier aside, the group starting to run off, being stopped in their attempt to flee when a wall of blue flames shot up high from behind them. "Whoa what the hell?! Blue flames… who could've…"

"Such a commotion." A woman's voice. The party turned around, finding that joining the soldiers now was a woman, her body seemingly wreathed in blue flame itself, the elegant blue dress on her body glowing just like the flames on her arms and legs, with long blue hair also bearing such flickers of flame, yet her eyes remained seemingly shut. "Just when I thought I could enjoy a little peace and quiet."

At the sight of this woman, Vaios felt another one of those flashes. It was the same woman, alongside a boy in armor… he saw moments of casual talks, but also of sparring… and yet again, that feeling of familiarity.

"Brighid." Vaios muttered, lowering his hand from his face, the woman in blue brandishing twin segmented rapiers at her sides. "Huh… a Blade without a Driver? That feels kinda condescending to me."

"My Driver is engaged with other things elsewhere. I am here on my own." Brighid said, Vaios taking a stance again, an annoyed look on his face.

"Bahahaha!" The captain laughed, Vaios shooting a look at the man. Wasn't he supposed to be knocked out? "Lady Brighid is the "Crown Jewel of Mor Ardian"! The strongest Blade in the Empire! Even alone she's more than a match for you!"

"Really? Let's prove that… Pyra, you up for this?" Vaios said so in a cautious tone, but Pyra saw even with that tone, he was still smiling. And she nodded.

"Of course. We go at her together, just like we did Malos." Pyra said, stepping up to Vaios's side, the boy nodding in affirmation.

"Lady Brighid, these people are terrorists working for Torna!"

"Way to jump to fucking conclusions asshat!" Vaios snapped, the soldier jumping back. "Shit like this is why I try to explain myself! Listen up, we're not with Torna! Hell, those guys want us dead more than anybody else without a doubt! Personally speaking I don't want a fight anyway… but I'll definitely do so if I have to."

"Really now?" Brighid said, looking to Pyra closely. "That emerald Core Crystal? Could it be? If that's the case… Captain Pardraig, you are not to kill them. Take these ones in alive."

"I tried to resolve this peacefully." Vaios let out a sigh, and the flame edge on his sword flared up a bit as he looked up with a glare, the shadow of the flames making the glow in his eyes glaringly clear now. "Y'know what Nia, I think I get why your wanted posters suck… seems Ardanians are a bunch of pride filled twats. If it's a fight they want… then I'll give 'em hell!"

"I'll take the Captain, you two can handle the Blade!" Nia said, Vaios nodding.

"Good, let's go!" Vaios shouted, he and Pyra charging off, Nia diverting to the side to attack the captain, who like before wasn't able to put up nearly as much of a fight against her.

The main attraction was at Vaios, Pyra, and Brighid. The Blade known as the Crown Jewel was quick with her twin swords, countering and parrying Vaios's rapid attack as he struck at her, their paces matching blow for blow as they traded swings… but what actually caught the blue Blade was that, when she _thought_ she'd gotten a counter in my throwing Vaios's sword up, he merely followed the motion through and _threw_ the sword, Pyra leaping into the air and catching the weapon, coming down hard, Brighid having to block with both swords… and for a brief moment, forgetting Vaios was there. The air screamed as Vaios drew his longsword while dashing forward, Brighid barely seeing him in time to dodge by a mere hair as the blade came at her, skidding back as Vaios rose back up, Pyra taking her own stance next to him.

"Driver and Blade, fighting at the same time? What an unusual fighting style…" Brighid hummed, and Vaios's expression had leveled, yet he felt a bit odd.

"It's weird… I'm watching how she moves, and my body just moves on it's own… it's like I know she fights… does this have to with that flash?" Vaios was quiet, shaking his head a bit. Taking the Aegis Blade back from Pyra, he dashed forward and struck again. He knew that this time, Brighid wouldn't be caught off guard by a sudden switch. She'd seen it once, so odds are she'd anticipate it happening again… but that's exactly what he was hoping for now.

As the clash went on, Vaios was forced back when the twin swords were turned into whips, and then he gripped the sword with both hands, keeping on a seemingly distressed expression.

"Pyra!" He shouted, Pyra nodding and jumping around to Brighid's flank.

"Fools!" Brighid turned to Pyra to lash at her as she watched Vaios get ready to throw the Aegis Blade… only, the throw never came. Brighid only realized it too late that the throw was a complete fake out, because Pyra smirked at her as she used a barrier to block the whip swords. As the blades bounced off, Vaios dashed forward fast enough to cover the gap between him and Brighid in a mere moment, yelling as he brought his blade down, landing a solid hit on his foe and sending her flying back, embers of red and blue flying by Vaios as a smirk split his face.

"Nice try! But I'm smart enough to know when my opponent finds things out!" Vaios said, jumping back when Brighid lashed at him with the whip swords, but once he and Pyra had fallen back, she grabbed her side.

"He actually got a hit in… and was able to fake me out. I didn't they'd make he use the swords as whips either…" Brighid clicked her tongue as she stood up straight, swinging both swords and releasing a wave of blue fire. Vaios responded by countering with his own, the two flames colliding and sending an explosion through the air.

"Damn this isn't gonna go anywhere at this rate. She's damn strong even if she doesn't have a Driver with her." Vaios muttered, wiping off his lip.

"Yeah, but we're just getting started." Pyra said.

"Stop yammering! Just get her!" Nia shouted, leaping to strike with Dromarch, Vaios gasping when he saw two soldiers arrive, carrying items with them too boot.

"Nia, stop!" Vaios yelled, though it was already too late, the soldiers launching what they were carrying at Nia and Dromarch, catching the two in glowing nets. "Shit!"

"This is an ether net!" The captain started laughing, only to get blasted by Vaios giving a swing of his sword.

"You are _really_ getting on my nerves!" Vaios snapped, swiping his sword back to his normal hold. "Still… damn, those are troublesome."

"Even Blades have weaknesses." Birghid said. "Cutting them off from the flow of ether is simply one of them. They prove to be quite… useless in such a situation."

"Getting kinda high and mighty ain't ya?!" Vaios growled, Nia craning her neck to look back at him.

"Vaios you have to run! Save yourself and get out of here!" Nia shouted, Vaios clicking his tongue.

"Like hell! I'm not just gonna leave you to these people!"

"You've got your own mission, just move it!"

"Vaios, we must withdraw for now, it's our only chance. Continuing this fight will get neither side anywhere!" Azurda said, Vaios giving another growl, the grip on his sword getting tigher.

"You won't escape." Brighid whipped out her swords, blue flames lashing out and blocking off the path again, Vaios giving a mutter as he raised an arm.

"That's annoying…" Vaios got ready to swing again, but to his surprise, something came flying out of nowhere from behind them, colliding with a nearby pipe, spraying water all over the place, dousing Brighid completely, her flames dying down, Vaios then smirking. "A chance! Pyra, now!"

" **BURNING SWORD!"** Pyra grabbed the sword along with Vaios, the two throwing it down and releasing a wave of flame, steam flying through the air when as it rushed towards the Ardanians, Vaios and Pyra immediately taking the chance to turn and run off.

"Don't let them escape! Get after them!" The soldiers began running off into the steam, though Vaios and Pyra were long gone by that point.

"That's right Vaios, run, and don't look back." Nia murmured, her eyes moving towards Brighid as the Blade lowered his weapons.

"To pull that off despite all this water… it seems the legends of the Aegis were true." Brighid murmured, but, more concerned her than that. "But the way they fought… it was far different than any other Driver and Blade… where did they learn Arts like those?"

* * *

Vaios and Pyra had managed to escape to the lower area of Gormott the two stopping, Vaios leaning on some cargo that was neaby, panting heavily.

"Okay… I think we got far enough, for now." Vaios muttered, looking around. "Now uh… where are we?"

"Hey hey!" Vaios and Pyra turned when they heard a voice, looking around to see a section of the wall creaking open… and greeting them from the gap was a Nopon, dressed up in overalls and with all kinds of tools on him, his fur a pale shade of brown with darker stripes, as well as even paler, nearly white patches on his face and tips of his 'wings.' "This way! Friends come this way! Tora help you escape!"

"Wait, was that you back there?" Vaios asked, the Nopon's 'wings' waving.

"Quick! No time for explain!" Tora said, Vaios and Pyra looking to each other, both nodding and following the Nopon through, Tora then quickly shutting the secret door, just in time as well, because a trio of Ardanian soldiers had caught up right at that moment, but they quickly went the other way when they saw no one was there.

"Well, thanks for the save." Vaios said, leaning on a nearby crate in the passage. "But uh… why?"

"No reason." Tora said, Vaios raising a brow.

"Really? Are you just trying to sound cool little guy?"

"Uh, sorry, you right." Tora said, turning to look at Vaios. "Truth is, Tora not like those big, bully soldiers. Was thinking to test out shiny new Boom Biter on big bullies… That's when Tora see friends running from them. Boom Biter missed and hit water pipe, but, results not so bad, hey?"

"Yeah, actually. Hitting that pipe was exactly what we needed." Vaios said, giving a chuckle. "Well, thanks. Nice to meet you Tora. I'm Vaios, and this is Pyra."

"It's lovely to meet you." Pyra greeted, bowing her head a bit.

"Good to meeting! Meheheh…"

"Eh?"

"Ah, actually, Tora have other reason for save you."

"And that would be?" Vaios asked, Tora chuckling again.

"Don't worry. Explain everything when we get to house of Tora! This way!"

"Well… don't have much place else to go, so lead the way." Vaios said, stopping for a moment and looking back and where they'd come from. "There's gotta be a way… I won't be leaving those two behind, that's for sure."


	4. Chapter 4

A Turn of Fate

 **Chapter 4: A New Blade**

"The teenager and his Blade who seemed to be working with them got away." The soldier had been reporting the events that had happened in town to Dughall, the office of the consul well above most of Gormott, and the unpleasant looking man already looking steamed from the report of things alone. "But, we apprehended the girl from the wanted poster, along with her Blade! The town is once again safe for-"

"Say, Padraig, do you remember what my orders were?" Dughall said.

"Sir?"

"I told you to capture the Blade with the emerald Core Crystal, did I not?" Dughall turned to the soldier, a snarl on his face. "Do you recall me telling you to capture some little girl with barely a bounty on her head?!"

"B-But sir, she's a member of Torna-"

"I'll say it slowly for you, just so we're clear. Get. The Blade. With. The emerald-"

"Um, Consul Dughall, sir?"

"What?"

"I-I'm not exactly sure what color "emerald" is supposed to be…"

"Agh! Give me strength! It's green you idiot! Emerald is green!" Conveniently nearby, there was a green vase for Dughall to grab, which he began shaking in front of the poor soldier's face. "Like this! Get it? Green you clod!"

"Ohhh, GREEN! I get it now! So emeralds are green, huh?"

"You dunderhead! How many Blades do you see with green Core Crystals?!" Dughall turned around with a huff. "It's patently obvious! How do you mix that THAT Blade up with some worthless cat monster?!"

"Actually sir, technically I believe that's a tiger, rather than a-"

"Silence!"

 _WHACK!_

"AGH!"

"Consul!" Another soldier rushed in as Dughall threw the vase at the captain's head, the man sighing.

"What is it?! Haven't you heard of knocking!?"

"My apologies sir! It's just that lady Mórag has…"

"What?!"

"Special Inquisitor Mórag has just arrived from the motherland!"

"Already?!"

"Her ship has just docked."

"Kgh, this… This cannot be happening!" Dughall reeled back in terror at that news, biting at the fingers of his glove.

* * *

And just outside of Gormott around that same time, a truly massive Ardianian Titan-ship was slowing to a stop, the massive ship blowing clouds up as it landed, slowing down to a stop. This single ship was large enough that it's view was utterly imposing from Torigoth, making it something that would truly be impossible to miss at all. And from the loading bay, the doors opened to the docks, a single person walking out into view.

The woman's very aura was one of authority, the ornate decorations of her uniform telling all about her station within Mor Ardian. With this presence alone, it would not bode well for those currently in hiding now…

* * *

Down deeper in Torigoth, Tora led Vaios and Pyra further down the path, leading the Driver and Blade into a surprisingly spacious room, which was rather clearly a kitchen what with the counters lining one wall and the hearth taking up a notable spot in the room.

"Did we come in the back way?" Vaios asked, scanning around more of the living area, Tora nodding to him.

"Yep yep! Front entrance over there." Tora pointed out, Vaios then looking over once of the view areas and whistling, the cloud sea visible for a long ways down and out.

"Wow, all the way up here huh? Nice." Vaios mused, Tora chuckling.

"Nice view eh? Tora likes to just sit and watch cloud sea sometimes." Tora proudly remarked.

"You have a wonderful home." Pyra said, the Nopon snickering.

"Mehehe! Anyway, um… Vai-Vai…"

"Vai-Vai?" Vaios said, an odd look on as he approached the Nopon.

"Vai-Vai. Tora explain other reason I help you. You see… Tora always wanted to make Driver friends."

"Oh. Interested in Drivers huh? I mean, I'm kinda new to this whole thing myself but, well… I can't say I blame you." Vaios glanced at Pyra as he spoke, the Blade girl chuckling.

"Tora think it amazing how Driver and Blade join spirits together to make big power! Tora _really_ want to be sidekick to Vai-Vai! Especially since Vai-Vai fight like no other Driver!" Tora was outright bouncing around now as he spoke, Vaios giving a chuckle as a hand went behind his head in that same old habit of his.

"Sidekick? I dunno… but uh, what's with the double name thing? It's just Vaios y'know?"

"What is point?"

"Well uh… I dunno really. Just not what I'm used to being called."

"Doublename just show Tora's respect! Respect for great Driver! Vai-Vai should be proud!"

"I think it's a bit too soon to be calling me something like 'great.'" Vaios remarked, giving a sigh. "But I guess I don't really care if you call me that. Besides, we kind of owe you for helping us out back there anyway. And none of that sidekick stuff, let's just be friends, alright?"

"Really?! Tora will be friend of Vai-Vai?! Hooray!" Tora began bouncing around in sheer glee, Vaios and Pyra laughing at the sight of it.

"Alright, so hey Tora, what do you know about Torigoth? I've only been here a couple of times so I'm kind of unfamiliar with the place." Vaios put a hand on Tora's head to make the Nopon stop bouncing.

"Huh?"

"Well… you wouldn't say, _happen_ to just know where the army would say, I dunno, take prisoners now? Y'know, like some kinda penitentiary on their base or something?" Vaios said, Pyra looking at him with a bit of concern.

"Vaios, you're not planning too…"

"Of course I am Pyra. I still owe Nia, so like hell I'm leaving her and Dromarch behind."

"I thought you'd say that." Azurda sighed, Vaios popping the small Titan on the head.

"Oh! You talk about the Driver and Blade who were with Vai-Vai before Tora's daring rescue?" Tora said, Vaios nodding to him. "Mehmeh… Tora would have to ask around town for info like that. Hmmm… before we do anything, time for food! All of today's running around make Tora hungry. Need food to help Vai-Vai!"

 _Grrroooowwww…_

"And sound like Vai-Vai belly agree."

"Ehehehehe…. Yeah I sorta haven't eaten a thing for like, a day now almost. And there'll be no point trying to find Nia and Dromarch if we're starving."

"Agreed. I'm a little puckish myself." Azurda said.

"Uhm, if it's alright with everyone, I could cook something." Pyra said, Vaios turning to her.

"Ah right, you offered to do that earlier." Vaios hummed. "How good are you?"

"Hehe, well as long as fire is involved, I can do almost anything! Fry, steam, grill – you name it." Pyra produced a flame in her hand, Tora wowing while Vaios gave a whistle, Pyra then flicking the flame dead. "If you want ice cream though… you'll have to ask somebody else."

"Can't have everything." Vaios shrugged, Pyra nodding and turning to Tora.

"Tora, do you have any ingredients I can work with?"

"Just what in the pantry there. Not much really. Tora sorry!"

"It doesn't seem wise to go out and buy supplies, so we'll have to make do with what we can." Azurda said, Vaios nodding and sitting down.

"Well then, let's go see what we've got." Pyra turned and started browsing through the pantry as well as the sacks of items Tora had lying around, counting off on her fingers as she went. "Glitterspuds, sumpkins… oh, and there's an Oil Oyster and one meaty carrot. Oh, and hot oranges too! These aren't bad ingredients at all!"

"All foods that can be eaten with no cooking. That how Tora usually eat."

"That's… kinda sad." Vaios muttered tilting his head a bit. "I at least had a brazier whenever I was riding on Azurda. Which is gone now… along with all my books… and the stuff I've spent five years collecting."

"You're still upset about that? It's not something I could help, and the hut was blown up when I was attacked." Azurda said, Vaios giving a depressed, heavy sigh. "… well, you did have some rare things there so I suppose I understand."

"Any-way!" Vaios said, waving Azurda off his shoulder. "Pyra, what do you think you can make from all that?"

"This should be enough." Pyra was already gathering things up in her arms. "I'll just use the kitchen, okay?"

"No problem!" Tora said, taking a seat of his own as Pyra began getting to work. "So Vai-Vai, how did you find Pyra? She rather unique Blade from look of it! Tora never seen Blade with green Core Crystal before."

"Well, that's cause Pyra's not quite your normal Blade." Vaios pulled out the red sword as he said so, flipping it in his grip and holding it out to Tora, who gave a curious hum as he looked over it. "She's the Aegis. Y'know, the Blade from the legends about 500 years ago."

"Mehmehmeh?! Vai-Vai not pulling Tora's leg?!" Vaios shook his head as Tora jumped in surprise, the Nopon spinning around, Vaios putting the sword back on his belt. "That amazing! Vai-Vai have legendary Blade! How? How did Vai-Vai and Pyra meet? If she truly legendary Blade than it had to be wild, yes?"

"That… may or may not be an understatement to the entire situation." Vaios remarked, giving a chuckle. "I really don't understand the full situation right now but… I know it involves people I knew, at least I _did_ a long time ago. It's… complicated, so let's leave it at that for now."

"Ahh Tora understand. Sound like Vai-Vai on quite the adventure now!"

"Ahahaha… well, we've only just gotten started."

"Alright, everything's ready!" Pyra stepped over and started setting out plates, Vaios immediately looking hungry as the smell went up to his nose, "Dig in everyone."

"Don't mind if I do then!" Vaios immediately grabbed a fork and got going, giving a loud sigh as he downed in. "Ahh finally! I've been eatin' nothing but fish and crustacean for a week! This is so good!"

"Yum-yummy! So super tasty!" Tora on his end looked like he'd _never_ eaten like this, which was probably true.

"Simply exquisite! I haven't eaten this well in 120 years!" Azurda said, Vaios turning to look at him.

"How the hell do you have an accurate count of _that_ old man?" Vaios said, prodding at Azurda with a fork, who then bat it away.

"Glad you liked it!" Pyra said, "It seems like I did OK… I was worried I'd have gotten a little rusty over the years."

"Nah this is perfect. I'd say good enough to beat some of the best chefs around… maybe. I wouldn't know." Vaios remarked, giving a half-sigh as Pyra giggled.

"So, Tora is curious." Tora said, grabbing attention to him. "Pyra is fire-using Blade, yes? When Tora broke that water pipe, Pyra could still make fire!"

"Come to think of it, you're right." Azura added, looking at Pyra, "That imperial Blade, Brighid. She used fire abilities just like Pyra, but the water seemed to douse much of her strength."

"So… I'm presuming this is leading into some kind of talk about ether right?" Vaios got nods from Azurda and Tora. "Right, lemme refresh myself… the world is full of it, and ether takes a lot of forms. Fire, water, wind, so on and so forth. Drivers and Blades fight by channeling ether between one another."

"Right right!" Tora said. "But fire not good with water. Other Blade woman got splooshy with water, so fire powers all damp."

"Yet Pyra and I were able to use her powers without an issue. Huh… you're right that is kind of odd." Vaios put his hand to his chin as he hummed, thinking on why that could be for a moment… and then his mind flashed again, seeing images of that same blonde girl with the same face as Pyra he had seen before. When the flashes ended, Vaios's look went a bit somber, his arm lowering.

"Um, well, my powers don't come from fire." Pyra said, Tora looking surprised by the statement.

"Mehmeh?! If powers not fire, why look like flames?" Tora asked, Pyra looking a bit uncomfortable with that matter.

"Th-that may be a little complicated to explain." Pyra replied, Tora leaning on the table in excitement.

"Go on then! Tora like complicated things a lot!"

"Ah, well, u-um, I, it…"

"I think it's more accurate to say Pyra's powers come from light. Or, maybe plasma is a more accurate word." Vaios said, leaning on an arm, Pyra looking relieved he'd taken over. "Fire is basically just an application of that kind of energy after all. Though… maybe we could say Pyra's fire-like powers are just a weakened form of light-based abilities."

"Ah, Tora get it! Interesting thought!" Tora said, Vaios clearing his throat.

"But, let's not push it Tora. There's some things people don't like talking about. If Pyra's gonna tell us, let's let her say it when she's ready." Vaios said, Pyra nodding to him with that relieved look still on her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure I'll be able to tell you about it soon enough. Well, more than you already figured out. You're as smart as ever Vaios." Pyra said, an amused smile coming to her face, Vaios looking away while scratching a cheek, a red tint showing.

" _Ahem,_ so, on other things, we need to think about how to find Nia and Dromarch." Vaios said, folding his arms. "Our best bet would be to start asking around for information from the people in town. Not a lot of people saw us, _thankfully,_ so as long as we keep it quiet, nobody should start a fuss."

"Yes, though I daresay we're all wanted criminals by this point." Azurda said, Vaios making an irked noise. The Titan then looked to Pyra. "Pyra sticks out like a sore thumb."

"I'm so sorry." Pyra said, Tora giving a chuckle.

"Don't worry friends! Tora has an idea!"

* * *

Whereas back at the docks, Dughall and a troop of soldiers with him were there to greet Mórag as the woman exited her ship, and the consul gave on airs of being all too pleased to see the woman.

"Special Inquisitor Mórag! To what do we owe this extreme pleasure?" Dughall said, "Had we but heard of Your Grace's visit, we could have prepared a suitable…"

"I don't stand on ceremony Consul." Was the cool reply from the young woman. "I'd rather you just do your job."

"Y-Your Grace… someone of your standing deserves to be treated as such! You are His Majesty's representative! Please, permit us to lay on a meal befitting Your Grace. Until then we would be honored if-"

"You made impressive time. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." Brighid's approach and words cut the Consul off dead, the man reeling back.

"L-Lady Brighid?!"

"If we have found the Aegis then there is no time to waste." Mórag said, approaching the Blade. "But I fear the passage has taken it's toll on our engines."

"The Aegis? H-How do you-?!" Dughall's shocked gasp got him a sharp look from Mórag.

"Is there a problem, Dughall?"

"N-Not at all, Your Grace."

"Good. Now, you've captured a Driver from Torna. I am going to speak with her."

"Wha? W-Why would you want to…"

"Dughall." Mórag's voice was just as sharp as the word, her eyes narrowed at the blubbering man. "I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"Y-Yes Your Grace! I'll take you to her right away!"

* * *

And not long later, at the main office at the heights of Torigoth, Nia now found herself face to face with Mórag, soldiers on all sides of the room and Brighid next to her Driver. All in all, not the kind of situation Nia was glad to find herself in now. And least of all mentions, that terrible wanted poster was slapped on the desk.

Nia and Brighid traded a look, to which Nia only huffed as she looked the other way.

"So, you are the Torna ruffian." Mórag said, Nia glancing to the young woman. "I must say you look a little… _different_ than your wanted poster."

"A _little_ different?! The one who drew that's the one who should be in jail!" Nia snapped, wanting oh so badly to claw that damned poster to pieces.

"Hahaha, yes, I would be angry too." Mórag's pleasant reply didn't do a thing to ease Nia's nerves, the Gormotti girl scoffing and folding her arms.

"You can drop the friendly act."

"You won't name your friends?"

"My friends? I'm not sure I can call those trigger-happy Torna goons "friends"."

"I see. It seems we are crossing wires. I am not talking about Torna." Mórag's statement got Nia to raise a brow, but she very quickly showed she had realized what the woman before her really meant by that.

"Huh? You're not?"

"No. I was talking about your more recent traveling companions. The young Driver and his Blade."

"Vaios and Pyra? Pff, you two are at least the same age." Nia remarked, finding Mórag's usage of the word "young" there more than a little amusing. And it only took a couple of seconds for her to realize she'd just said those names without even _thinking_ about it.

"Well, that was easy." Mórag looked rather amused by Nia's slip of the tongue, the Gormotti girl cursing herself out under her breath. Mórag simply smiled. "Brighid, can you tell me anything about these two?"

"Yes my lady." Brighid nodded her head. "The young man is perhaps around your age. From the looks of things, I believe he may be a salvager judging from the equipment he carried. Him and the Blade fought in an… interesting manner. They passed their weapon around far more than what I would call the norm for Driver and Blade combat, and while the Blade held the sword, the Driver would use his own weapon to continue attacking. I have to admit, they had me on the ropes. It wasn't a style that I would call easy to keep up with."

"Hm, interesting. Fighting with both Driver and Blade on the front lines. These Vaios and Pyra characters have piqued my interest quite a bit now. If they can put you on edge Brighid, then it also means they are quite powerful." Mórag's smile didn't even fade, in fact, she only looked more amused. "This job just became far more interesting."

* * *

Turns out, Tora's idea was a rather fair one: Disguises.

Vaios and Pyra were now both wearing Gormotti style cloaks, the hoods enough to leave their faces relatively nondescript from much look, and it'd make it far easier for them to blend in with the group in some domestically styled clothing. Vaios's cloak was white and blue, while Pyra was in a reddish brown cloak.

"You know, I think this just might work." Pyra commented, spinning around a bit.

"Yeah seriously. Good idea Tora." Vaios said, tapping the Nopon on the head, Tora chuckling proudly.

"Right, let's look for friends of Vai-Vai!" Tora said, leading the way out of the front of his home, which led right out into Gormott's lower areas. "We should ask around here first. Many people on lower level know lots of things!"

"Noted." Vaios said, whistling as he looked over the bridge they were crossing, leading to nothing but the cloud sea below. Up above them were more bridges cross-crossing the gap between the two ends of Gormott. The first person the trio came across that Tora pointed too was a Gormotti child, and Vaios cleared his throat. "Hey there! I was wondering, have you heard anything about say, a girl named Nia who was captured by the Ardanians?"

"Oh, that? Yeah that's gotten around actually." Said the child, immediately catching the party's interest. "Some Ardanian dude that was going around was saying they were going to "execute the prisoner" in the next few days! Those Torna guys are pretty bad, right? I've heard they've killed loads of Drivers to steal their Core Crystals."

"Well I can't say the rumors aren't that wrong." Vaios muttered.

"Pretty amazing if the Empire managed to capture one of them though." The kid continued, Vaios remaining quiet. "The Empire's amazing! I wonder what they'll do at this "execution" thing anyway. I've never seen one before!"

"Uh, you maybe don't want to kid." Vaios said, giving a sigh.

"Thank you so much." Pyra remarked, the group then moving on and up to another level. "That doesn't bode well."

"It's a trap." Vaios said, Pyra and Tora giving him curious looks. "Think about it. We get away but one of our friends gets captured right? With the Empire around here they'd try to drag us out. The whole execution thing is likely a false pretense. They just want to get me and Pyra out into the open to nab us too. Architect knows why they want Pyra. But, still, it's a trap, plain and simple."

"But, if execution trap, then what do we do?" Tora asked, Vaios folding his arms.

"We should keep asking around. And not just with random citizens either. Last time I was here me and the crew I was working with went to an info broker to ask about some things we could dig up. I still remember the guy, a Nopon. If I remember correctly he hangs out in the main square tucked back in an alleyway."

"Good idea. But Tora think it at least worth asking some people along the way." Tora got nods in response to that, and they carried on to the top-most level, veering right to head back towards the main square of the town. When they weren't too far from it, a person on the bridge leading to it caught his eye.

"Might as well. Hey there!" Vaios approached the man, who gave a friendly wave in return. "So, I'm asking around about rumors here. Heard anything about what the Empire's been up too lately."

"Oh yeah there's some stuff that's been going around like fire lately." The man replied. "They captured a member of Torna! A Gormotti girl named Nia from what I heard, though there wasn't much else besides that. Y'know… the name Nia actually sounds a bit familiar. There was some lord around a decade back named Echell… I think he had… ah, never mind, it's not really a pleasant thing to talk about."

"Alright. Thanks either way." Vaios turned and left, and then sighed. "Aside from the thing we already knew, that last bit was curious though. Tora, know anything?"

"Hmm, a lord named Echell? Tora don't personally know much honestly. Heard the name before, but nobody like talking about it." Tora's reply got a curious raise of the brow from Vaios. "They do say he was in search of powerful healing Blade for some reason. No one know why though."

"A lord who was looking for a strong healing Blade eh? And this guy might have a connection to Nia? Interesting." Vaios put a hand to his chin as he thought, Azurda adjusting on his shoulder. "What do you think Azurda?"

"Perchance we can ask Nia later, after we rescue her." Azurda said, Vaios nodding.

"Yeah." As the party continued on, through they plaza, Vaios veered them off to the side, between a couple buildings and down an alleyway, though he waved off Tora and Pyra as he rounded the corner, where at the back of it, a Nopon could be seen. "Hey Turuni, been a while!"

"Hmm? Oh! Well it's Vaios! Has certainly been quite some time." The Nopon replied, Vaios nodding. "Surprised to see you on Gormott again. New crew, or here alone?"

"Alone, actually. And it's not a salvaging job. I wanna know what you've got on the recent news around town: The Gormotti girl that the Ardanians captured. Her name's Nia, and she had a white tiger Blade with her."

"Ah. Yes, Turuni know this. But of course Turuni informant by trade. Cannot provide proper information without proper compensation."

"Of course." Vaios looped off his coin purse and started rifling through it. "How much for what you've got about this?"

"3,000G."

"Seriously? Well, I can pay it, so shoot." Vaios separated the needed amount of coin and handed it to the Nopon in a small pouch, the informant nodding as he took the pouch and weighed it a bit.

"Thanks much for custom! Ardanian Titan ship that just arrived not long ago. Gormotti girl is being held prisoner in there. Turuni not receive intelligence about prisoner name, though seem Vaios already know that. But rumor say big ship arrive for sole purpose of holding one measly girl. People of Gormott get along quite well with Empire these days, so trouble like this not very welcome. That seem to be opinion of most of Torigoth resident. That about extent of information Turuni know."

"Alright thanks Turuni. That actually helps a lot. I'll see ya again if I'm ever around and need some hints!"

"Of course! Pleasure doing business!"

"Okay so, we at least know where Nia _is_ now." Vaios met up with Pyra and Tora outside the alleyway, heading back out to the plaza, looking off to where the Titan ship was visible. "She's aboard _that_ massive thing."

"An Ardanian Titan Ship. That one's rather large. Probably belongs to an important figure." Pyra said, Vaios nodding as he put his hands to his hips. "Getting on board _that_ will be a problem. Especially if you're right about this being a trap. They'll likely be expecting us."

"Which is why we'll give it more thought." Vaios said, and as he turned, he immediately went to hide since they again came across the post the Ardanians had set up, the commotion from before having since died down, and now the soldiers were standing at post. Pyra was quick to join him behind some crates, though Tora didn't even try to hide himself. "And maybe do so where we _won't_ be seen!"

"Did Vai-Vai know they recruiting Drivers over there?" Tora asked, Vaios nodding, peeking over the crates he was using as a hiding place.

"Yeah. We saw someone awaken a Blade when we first arrived here." Vaios said.

"Vai-Vai should give it a try! Chance of success basically 100%." Tora said, Vaios shaking his head.

"I've got no plans to work for Mor Ardain. I kinda like my freedom as a salvager. And besides I'm also wanted by the Empire right now. It'd be a bad idea to do something that conspicuous." Vaios pointed out, Tora giving a hum as Vaios went out of hiding. "Tora just curious about what kind of Blade Vai-Vai would awaken."

"I mean… well, actually thinking about it having another Blade would be useful." Vaios commented. "We're kinda short on numbers with Nia and Dromarch being held captive. "That and it would mean Pyra can get some rest from fighting every now and again."

"And with another Blade it'd let us do a lot more." Pyra added. "With how you fight with me, add in a second Blade and that already adds a lot more options. If you're lucky, you may just awaken a Blade with abilities that can complement mine, somehow."

"You two make excellent points." Azurda commented. "More options in battle, and less strain on Pyra since she'll have someone to swap out with, plus get our numbers up at least a little. All in all that situation sounds like our best option going forward."

"No objections from me. The more the merrier." Pyra said, Vaios humming.

"The problem is I don't have a Core Crystal I could use." Vaios said, Azurda giving a chuckle as he fluttered off Vaios's shoulder.

"Well then, lucky for you Vaios, I have one with me." Azurda then, seemingly from _nowhere,_ produced a Core Crystal, Vaios staring at it then Azurda, back and forth for a few seconds.

"Where were you _keeping_ that?"

"I had it stowed away for just such an occasional."

"Okay but _where the hell were you keeping it?_ It's as big as your head!"

"It doesn't really matter does it?"

"I think it does!"

"Tora think the same. Where Azurda hide Core Crystal with such tiny body?"

"Look, stop asking unnecessary questions." Azurda then shoved the Crystal into Vaios's hand, the teenager rolling it in his palm. "I will also add this one is special. A friend of yours from a long time ago used to be this Blade's Driver. Now, the key to awakening a Blade is to foster a powerful resonance with the Driver's spirit. And well, you've got plenty of that going for you Vaios."

"That is… horribly convenient. And from our earlier talk I also know you won't be telling me the why about this one till I figure out what at least led up to it." Vaios said, then looking around. "I also don't think an open plaza is the best place for me to do this. Let's head back to Tora's place."

"Good idea!" Tora said, then shaking with glee. "I get to see a Blade be awakened! Oh this will be so cool!"

"Ehehe, let's at least get outta here first." Vaios said, already turning off.

* * *

Back in Tora's house, Vaios and Pyra had discarded of the cloaks, and in the central room, Pyra, Tora, and Azurda were standing in front of Vaios, who was holding the Core Crystal out in front of him.

"Okay, so… how the heck do I do this?" Vaios said, putting his other hand on his hip as he started rolling the Core Crystal again.

"Hehehe, it's actually rather simple." Azurda said. "Be sure to keep a tight hold on the Core Crystal, and focus you entire mind onto it. Try to make a clear picture of the Blade sleeping within it. As your spirit and the Blade's resonate, the picture should become clearer and clearer. Once you have a full image, the Blade will be awakened. I'll help you out a bit here: Her name is Haze."

"Haze. That's… familiar." Vaios murmured, his eyes going wide as he felt that every familiar twinge in his mind. He then gave a breath, holding the Core Crystal out again and gripping his upper arm with his other hand. The Core Crystal began to shine, the air around Vaios's arm beginning to shift around as light streamed from it, the Crystal humming in his hand as he focused. He kept his image based on the name. Haze. It was bringing out _something_ in him as he focused on it. An image… there was definitely an image there.

Yet again, the image was familiar. A friendly smile, someone who he remembered was always there to help patch people up. The image in his mind started to become clearer the more the Crystal in his hand hummed, the light from it glowing brighter and brighter, the air in the room swirling more and more.

Then the image became complete clear, and Vaios's eyes went wide open. The swirling air slowed down and ceased, the Crystal in Vaios's hand fading, and then reforming, Vaios now finding himself gripping a staff. It's main body was a dark steel color, but the ornamentation at the bottom and top were gleaming gold, while the top was marked by multiple bright blue crystals, the top structure curving up with other smaller crystals waving about connected to it.

As Vaios gripped the staff in both hands, he watched as a pulse of light left his body and stopped between him and the others. With a shift in the air, the light then formed into a figure. A girl with very long brown hair and a circlet on her forehead, her eyes opening to reveal them to be a soft, but bright shade of gold. Her style of clothing was what could maybe be called priestess like, a white and red ensemble of a style that Vaios swore he was familiar with. And clearly visible just below the girl's collar, an angled rhombus shaped Core Crystal was visible, a small glow in it drying down.

"No way… it really is her!" Pyra said, her eyes just as wide as Vaios's, and Pyra then looked to Azurda for a moment.

"Hello there." The newly awakened Blade said, giving a small bow of her head, and then giving a warm smile to Vaios as she looked up. "My name is Haze. You're my Driver, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Vaios said, lowering the staff to his side, his hand going tight on it. "My name's Vaios, it's nice to meet you Haze."

He was feeling that sense of nostalgia rise up in him again, and at least this time, he knew why. Even if he couldn't remember himself, and there was definitely no doubt Haze did either, this was somebody he knew before he lost his memories. He couldn't help but feel even mildly ecstatic about that, considering this one definitely wasn't going to, well, stab him through the heart.

"It's also very nice to meet you." Pyra stepped up into view, Haze turning to her, Pyra's smile near overjoyed. "My name's Pyra. I'm also Vaios's Blade. Which makes you and me partners now."

"Ehehe, well then, I'm glad we'll be working together." Haze said, then pausing for a moment as she looked between Vaios and Pyra. "Strange… I can't help but feel something familiar about you two. It's odd… I feel like I'm looking at old friends."

"Oh wwwowww!" Tora immediately went and shot whatever mood that there was in the face, getting looks turned towards him, though of anything, where Vaios and Pyra looked annoyed with him, Haze looked far more curious upon seeing the Nopon. "Meh meh! Fur always stand on end when Tora see Driver resonate with Blade! So cool!"

"Well hello there. Are you a friend of my Driver?" Haze asked, rubbing Tora on the head, the Nopon chuckling.

"Yep-yep! Tora good friend of Vai-Vai! Help save him and Pyra from Imperial Blade!" Tora proudly stated that fact, Haze giving a chuckle to the comment.

"Well it's nice to meet you. I'm glad I was awakened by a Driver with a good friend like you." Haze said, and then she noticed Azurda hovering nearby. "Oh! My you're so cute! What might you be!"

"My name is Azurda. Do not let me small size fool you though, I am actually quite old. I am what you might call Vaios's guardian."

"Yeah and now a freeloader using my hood as transportation." Vaios said, giving the old Titan a poke to the face with his new staff, chuckles going around the room. Vaios then spun the staff onto his shoulder, giving a breath. "Okay, so now we need to focus. I'll catch you up Haze. Right now, we're trying to bust a friend of ours and her Blade out of captivity. We know where she's being kept right now, but the problem is actually getting in there, plus an incredibly high probability it's a trap to bait me and Pyra out."

"Oh my, that is definitely quite the situation." Haze said, then giving a nod. "But I will do everything I can to help you. I can fight plenty well, but my abilities are better suited for healing. I'll make sure that if anyone is injured, you'll be fixed up with little to worry about. Plus, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve as well."

"Heh, that's good to know." Vaios nodded and handed the staff to Haze, who dematerialized it with a wave of her hand. "Okay so, now we need to get to planning!"

"Tora will get map of Torigoth!" Tora hopped off elsewhere, coming back with a rolled up map in hand (wing?), spreading it out on the main table and pointing at the docks while also sketching out the ship in question. "Here. So, we know that Titan ship at dock here. Plenty big dock built after Mor Ardain settled here."

"And so our main problem is how we'll get on board without letting them know we showed up." Pyra said. "If this is a trap, then obviously they'll be expecting us. So that immediately rules out going in from the front."

"Didn't plan for that anyway." Vaios said, looking at the map and giving a hum. "There's gotta be a way to get onto the ship in a way that can let us sneak on… if we could somehow get in from below…"

"We're going to need an ironclad plan for this." Azurda said, giving a hum as he folded his arms.

"Hmm… what about here?" Haze pointed to a root that the sketch of the ship happened to be right over. "Tora, where's this root located? If its below the ship, then do you think that this could be used to get us onboard?"

"That's one of the Grandarbors roots." Pyra added, turning the map herself. "Yeah… if this map is correct than it goes all the way from the quay to the ships hull from underneath it. And it looks like there's some kind of cargo entrance around this point. Maybe we could get in from there?"

"That's actually perfect!" Vaios said, chuckling as he leaned on the table, "The entrance will likely be above the root, but I can get us up there no problem with my anchor gun. Of course though, once we're on then it's a matter of _finding_ where Nia and Dromarch are being held. It'll definitely be in separate areas so that they'll be limited, and Dromarch's cell will likely be cutting off his ether access so he can't break out on his own."

"Security light around this entrance, even during day." Tora said. "At night, not even workers here."

"Looks like this is our only option." Azurda remarked, Vaios nodding.

"Yeah. I've also got a bad feeling around this because of that Brighid woman." Vaios added, giving a hum. "She was here without her Driver, and I can't shake the feeling that's exactly who arrived on this ship. Pyra and I were able to hold Brighid back on her lonesome, but with her Driver? I'm not sure we'll be able to beat her… then again that's not the idea anyway."

"I suppose what we'll have to worry about is how persistent she and her Driver will choose to be." Pyra said, Vaios nodding in agreement. "If we can find a way to shake them off then we can escape. Also, we should think of how to get off Gormott after that. It won't do us good to pull this and not have a plan to get out quickly."

"Yeah. We need to get back to trying to reach the World Tree as soon as we can after this." Vaios said, giving a long hum, then noticing Haze was looking at him with a curious look. "Ah, right. Well, see, Pyra's kind of special for a Blade. The thing is, I promised I'd take her to Elysium, up on the World Tree it's uh… complicated."

"I'll fill you in later." Pyra said, Haze nodding.

"But, sounds like we got a plan. So we'll head in during the night to have it be the safest bet for sneaking on." Vaios said, getting nods from everyone else. "Good. So, anything else?"

"Mehehehe!"

"Tora?"

"Tora have something to show you!" Tora declared, getting up and leading the others to what appeared to be a workshop just off of the main room. Tora threw aside a curtain that was concealing something, Vaios's eyes going wide as plates.

Before them now was definitely a machine. The shape was definitely humanoid, and it had a face designed to appear like a young girl. In fact if it wasn't for the clearly non-human look of the limbs and the artificial looking skin and hair, Vaios would've reasonably believed it _was_ a girl. But, along with the mechanics, the glowing orange lines across the body definitely said otherwise.

"What is this?" Vaios said, tilting his head.

"Nobody ever see this before! Secret of Tora!" Tora declared. "An artificial Blade!"

"Wait, you're building your own Blade?" Pyra said, Haze tilting her head in the opposite direction Vaios had his tilted.

"I can't believe it." Azurda added, perched up on Vaios's shoulder now.

"Tora has always wanted to be Driver of Blade. But, Tora… Tora has no potential to awaken Core Crystal!" Tora sighed and sounded depressed about that, Vaios blinking as he wondered about that.

"Wait… have you tried it before?" Vaios asked, Tora nodding. "How did… oh… are… are you okay? Cause, well, that can kill you in the worst case. I mean obviously it didn't kill you but… seriously you're okay, right?"

"Tora perfectly fine. One year ago, Tora applied to Driver recruitment man." Tora said, and Vaios couldn't help but think back to what happened to the poor sap who tried to awaken a Core Crystal and failed horribly. He was actually rather worried about what happened to Tora. "But it was bad. Tora had nosebleed for three days!"

"Huh?" Vaios could only give that response, Pyra looking outright as confused as him too. Haze was more preoccupied with looking at the artificial Blade. "Just a nosebleed? You got off with that?"

"What Vai-Vai mean "got off with that"?! People die from loss of blood you know!" Tora objected.

"Yeah but, from a nosebleed? I mean sure a hit to the head makes you bleed a lot but those kinds of things always look worse than they are… usually."

"Anyway, moving on…"

"For someone who about suffered a near death experience you're being really casual!"

"ANYWAY, back to Tora's Blade!" Tora quickly rushed over and shooed Haze back to the group, "When complete, even no-potential Tora can be a Driver!"

"It sounds like an incredible thing." Haze said. "The work you did is fantastic!"

"I agree. Did you build this Blade from scratch Tora?" Azurda asked.

"Hm. It was started by Grampypon and Dadapon." Tora said, giving a sigh. "But, Grampypon die and Tora still not know where Dadapon go to…"

"Oh." Vaios felt like an anvil had just been dropped into the room.

"So Tora will finish Blade myself and become a Driver like always wanted!"

"Okay we're just swerving past that one too alright."

"Then, Dadapon hear about Tora's success and come back home, right?"

"Huh… that's actually a fair plan." Vaios said.

"Oh Tora." Pyra looked downright touched by the comment, then both Haze and Azurda gave a him as they looked at the artificial Blade.

"Though, this Blade looks complete. What else is there for you to do?" Haze asked, Tora chuckling.

"Meheheheheee! All Tora have left to do is buy missing parts!" Tora then got looks from the others, since they immediately felt something else coming along with that line. "But, Tora have no money at all!"

"There it is." Vaios murmured, a sigh going around their group. "Okay, so, lemme guess where this is gonna go: You are either to ask me to say, use some of the funds I have somehow managed to save from that damned job to get these parts… or go about it a completely different way."

"Vai-Vai salvager, yes?"

"Obviously."

"Well, unless Vai-Vai want to make, uh, hehe, generous donation."

"Just like a Nopon." Azurda commented, Vaios bearing a flat expression, though Azurda looked amused more than anything. "Always shrewd when it comes to gold."

"B-b-but, if Tora completes Artificial Blade, then combat capabilities will be big help on mission!"

"I'm not denying that." Vaios said. "You're right, if this works it'll be a big help for this mission. Say I were to make this "generous donation," how much would it be?"

"Oh… no more than 60,000 gold…?"

"What's my other option?"

"Didn't even take second to reply?!" Tora was taken aback from how quickly Vaios shot back the _second_ he heard that amount of money.

"Vaios, I think we owe Tora our help." Pyra said, Vaios giving a sigh. "If it's just money he needs, I think I can help."

"Nothing illegal, I hope!" Azurda said, immediately getting punched into the wall by Vaios.

"Don't even joke about that!" Vaios snapped, Azurda in a daze as he slid down the wall. "Pyra what _do_ you mean?"

"Well, this." Pyra reached to one of her ears and took off the earring on it, holding the item out for Vaios and Haze to look at. "This is a natural crystal. It should fetch around 60,000 if not more."

"I mean it's a good idea but…" Vaios gave a hum, his hand to his head. "Tora, you asked about me being a salvager. Whatever I can't just buy is probably something I can salvage up yeah?"

"Meh-meh! Vai-Vai is seriously generous!"

"But this Blade of yours _better_ be useful!" Vaios said, leaning down and pointing a finger into Tora's face. "Capiche?"

"Leave that to Tora!"

"Alright then. Let's go! We'll be back in a bit!"

"Yippee!"

Pyra and Haze watched as Vaios and Tora rushed out, Vaios grabbing the cloak he was using as he did, Azurda fluttering back up next to the Blades.

"Will they really be okay?" Pyra said, Haze chuckling.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Haze said, "Anyway, you said something about catching me up?"

"Ah yeah, I guess now would be a good chance. Azurda, will you help me make some tea?" Pyra asked, Azurda nodding to her.

"Sure. I could go for some myself." Azurda said, Haze nodding.

"Tea sounds wonderful!" Haze said, Pyra giving a nod to the other Blade.

* * *

"We're back with the things!" Vaios and Tora rushed back into the house, both rather soaked through, and it wasn't hard to guess why considering one could hear the crackling lightning from outside. Tora though, was bouncing around while carrying bags that had what were most likely the needed parts inside of them.

"You two were gone for a while." Pyra said, Vaios nodding as he tossed aside the wet cloak and sat down at the hearth, putting his hands to it.

"Well the salvaging idea worked out, of course though that took time. Had to do a few goes at it… one of them didn't go so well and a darn crustip jumped out of the chest I dug up. Had to buy some range sensor thing though. What was that for again?" Vaios called out, Tora poking his head back in.

"To help Blade's eyesight! Very important part!" Tora then ducked back into the other room, Vaios humming.

"Yeah that. Anyway, what were you guys doing?" Vaios asked, Haze giving a hum.

"Pyra was catching me up on things until now. It was quite the story." Haze said. "I can't imagine meeting like that. Was it really that way?"

"Oh yeah." Vaios said, giving a nod as he also wringed out his jacket. "Doesn't get much crazier than being stabbed in the back by someone who, apparently, was your friend before you lost your memories. And then finding out the girl you saw in a stasis pod is actually the freaking Aegis herself."

"It's the definitely the start of a story." Pyra added. "Either way, it's also why we're trying to rescue Nia. She was a big help to us on that ship, so we kind of owe her."

"Well, like I said before, I'll do everything I can to be of help." Haze said, putting a hand to her chest. "After hearing something like that, it only makes me want to help more as well! I'm also quite interested in meeting this Nia and her Blade, they sound like an interesting pair."

"Okay, all finished!" Tora zipped back out like he was about to explode. "Hurry hurry! Need to get ready to go while storm still going strong!"

"Well then let's not wait." Vaios got up first, soon to be followed by Pyra and Haze into the workshop, Tora giddily zipping around and checking various things. "And _why_ is this being done in the middle of a raging lightning storm?"

"Need to apply energy charge to activate!" Tora said, going up to a lever connected to all of the wires coming down from the ceiling and to the artificial Blade.

"Tora, there's no time to waste. For all we know that execution order might be for real." Azurda said, "Make haste!"

"I know, I know!" Tora grabbed the level and gave a deep breath. "Okay artificial Blade, it's wakey-wakey time!"

"That won't do Tora." Pyra said, Tora turning in confusion.

"W-What Tora do wrong?"

"You can't keep calling her "artificial Blade." As her creator, the least you can do is give her a proper name." Pyra stated, Haze and Vaios nodding in agreement to her.

"A name is an important thing after all." Vaios said. "So, how about it? What's her name gonna be Tora?"

"Oh, uhm, well…" Tora then chuckled, rubbing his head. "Actually friends, Tora did think of name for her. Very good name!"

"Well? Why not introduce us?" Haze asked, leaning past Vaios.

"Agreed. Go right on ahead." Azurda added, Tora nodding.

"Right away!" Tora grabbed the handle again, and outside, the storm was only raging all the harder, lightning cracking through even more than before. "Now… Wakey-wakey! Tora's very own Blade! Poppi!"

Tora shoved the handle forward, all kinds of machinery beginning to wind up in cue with it. And moments after, a bolt cracked in, and the house was rocked from what _had_ to be a lightning strike, as arcs of electricity could be seen shooting down from the roof and along the wires. The lights went out, and smoke filled the room, a glow coming from the newly christened artificial Blade, Poppi. Tora's face was beaming, and the others were watching with anticipation as the smoke died away and the lights turned back on.

"P-Poppi?" Tora hummed, the anticipation still building from the others.

Only to come _right_ on crashing down.

"How may I be of service Master?" As Poppi suddenly sprung to life and struck a cutesy pose, and with what could be _sworn_ to be visible, bright pink glowing light effects appearing, if the reactions from the other four were going to be anything, well, it certainly wasn't awe.

Vaios looked between shocked and doing his damndest to hold back laughter as he covered his mouth and a wheezing noise escaped his lips, Pyra's eyes had gone totally white from the surprise, Haze had raised a hand to her mouth, and Azurda stayed in the air for a couple of seconds in shock before just falling to the floor.

"W-w-w-w-wait a minute!" Tora downright screeched as he scrambled to shut Poppi down, chuckling nervously. "Forget you see that! Tora must change settings. Khm…"

"Puahahahaha… w-what?!" Vaios gasped out, ceasing to hide the fact he was laughing way harder than he probably should have been, Pyra patting his back as he slowly managed to stop and calm down, all while Tora was scrambling to change things.

"Th-this time should be OK." Tora said. "Second time go best! Powerrrr… on!"

With another pull of the lever, the room shook again as another lightning strike as attracted to it. Though this time the looks that were being given weren't those of anticipation. Vaios looked downright suspicious, Pyra's smile was most likely just her trying to keep cool, Haze just sighed, and Azurda was back to camping in Vaios's hood while leaning on an elbow, clearly not expecting much after _that_ display.

This time though, there wasn't some grand move or pose. Poppi simply stood up straight, and her eyes popped open.

"Greetings, Masterpon." Poppi said, and _now_ everyone looked a degree of impressed.

"I-I did it!" Tora cheered, turning to the others, one of his "wings" moving out to gesture to Poppi. "Tora's masterpiece! World's first artificial Blade, Poppi!"

"Nice!" Vaios whistled as he leaned to a side, the others giving their own exclamations of impression to this feat of engineering now working before them.

"Tora did good huh? You impressed? Tora is a very big success?!" Tora was himself bouncing with glee at the fact this worked.

"Hells yeah! This is freaking incredible!" Vaios said, then chuckling. "Though I was surprised the first go when uh, we got _that_ kind of reaction.:

"Ahem, Tora… who _made_ those settings?" Haze asked, Tora nervously chuckling as he flinched.

"Forget about that!" Tora said, only earning suddenly suspicious looks. "That not Tora's fault! Th-that was, um… Grampypon! Grampypon Soosoo made settings! Heh, yes. _Definitely_ Grampypon's fault!"

If the other's weren't impressed with that excuse then neither was Poppi, who's gaze merely shifted down to look at Tora, almost as if accusing him. Pyra leaning down with a narrowed look didn't help Tora keep his composure.

"Are you _sure_ Tora?" Pyra asked, Tora flinching again.

"Y-Yes, Grampypon, yes…" The Nopon trailed off as Pyra's eyes bored into him, her eyes shifting to the right, and following that, Vaios and Haze leaning to follow her gaze, Tora practically jumping. "Mehmeh!"

What they were looking at was a closet that had been no doubt rocked open by the home shaking during those lightning strikes. It was filled to the brim with maid outfits of all sorts, some now strewn about because their hangers had come clean off the rack holding them. As three accusatory looks shifted to Tora, the Nopon began sweating bullets as he seemed to realize he'd been found out.

"Well, let's not dwell on that." Pyra said, standing straight, Haze shaking her head while Vaios put a hand to his face. "Vaios, Haze, let's go rescue Nia and Dromarch."

 _KACRACK!_

"Sure… but maybe _after_ the storm subsides." Vaios suggested, everyone nodding in agreement to his suggestion.

"Anyway, my name Poppi." Poppi spoke up, getting attention on her, and the freshly created Blade made a polite bow to the others. "Poppi try hard to make Masterpon proud."

"Hehehe, nice to meet you Poppi! Welcome to our little crew of ragtag misfits!" Vaios chuckled, putting his arms behind his head.

* * *

Whereas back in the consuls office, things were brewing. The stout man was storming around almost as badly as the storm outside (which needless to mention somehow the same house being struck twice had gone completely unnoticed by the people of Torigoth.). Perhaps one could say Dughall's mood was _worse_ than the storm.

"That shrew thinks she owns the place just because she curries favor with the Emperor…" clearly displeased with Morag's arrival, Dughally gave a growl as he folded his arms. "If only I'd gotten the Aegis myself! I could have returned home in triumph, or sold her off to Bana for a decent sum… but it's not over! I refuse to let his place be the end of me! I will not be left to rot in this flea bitten backwater! Captain Padraig!"

The line on the communicator in front of the man crackled on, the captain appearing into the field of view.

"Uh, yessir?"

"Double the number of guardsmen! Round up anyone that you can find! We're going to find that Aegis before Mórag gets her paws on her!"

"Sir! As you wish, sir!"

"Watch and learn, Mórag Ladair…"

As Dughall's own ravings kept up, just outside of the office, unbeknownst to the man, Brighid had been there listening in the entire time, and the fire-using Blade's movements belief her calm expression. It wasn't like corruption was unknown in the Empire, in fact one could say many of the officials helping run it didn't quite have thoughts that lined up with those of their young Emperor at all. Dughall was just one of several others who no doubt though themselves powerful enough to avoid such troubling things as actually _listening_ to those with power over them

"Something like this in the middle of us laying a trap… this will be bothersome." Brighid said, giving a long sigh. Tomorrow was sure to be an eventful day.

* * *

That night, he was dreaming again. It wasn't often Vaios could say he actually dreamed about anything, perhaps it was more to say, his dreams were a jumble of vague recollections of things no longer known to him.

This, however, wasn't that.

" _So, now you're the Driver of the other Aegis eh? Hehehe, good for you Addam."_

 _He was leaning back against the wall of the area outside of the grand open-air playhouse. Greeting Vaios in this place as a commotion was heard from out there was a tall man in white armor, on his back a longsword, one marked by the symbol of a flame. His face still bore youth to it, with rugged looks and silver hair that clearly had little care to it, and bright golden eyes that were like a flame._

" _Is it really though Vaios?" Addam said, Vaios shrugging. "Still… can I admit something to you?"_

" _Shoot. Can't be much some of the stuff we've gone through the past five years." Vaios said, stretching his arms above his head._

" _For a moment there, I was scared." Addam said, Vaios raising a brow as he lowered his arms behind his head. "We've seen the things the other Aegis can do. For a moment there, I felt a twinge of doubt. I was worried, if something went wrong, perhaps that girl would end up no better than_ him. _"_

" _The Aegises are powerful. Still, odd to hear about Addam himself being scared of something… well, when that something isn't spicy food." Vaios chuckmled, Addam giving a scoff._

" _I'll never forget that prank of yours. Honestly your tongue must be made of steel."_

" _Ahahahahaa! Nah I just have more tolerance." Vaios replied, the leaning through the path, seeing that just down it, a blonde girl in white was talking with a tall figure with pale blue skin. "So, what's her name?"_

" _Mythra. Despite those initial doubts I felt, now that I see her, those are gone. Now I just see a girl who needs someone to guide her. She's new to this world, might as well, right?"_

" _Ehehehe… there's that fatherly side of yours. You ain't a dad yet though, that kid's on the way."_

" _Yes and when_ that _happens you'll be an uncle, little brother!" Addam grabbed Vaios by the shoulder and started rubbing a knuckle into his head, Vaios laughing as he fought against it. "So, you up for another grand adventure, this time alongside the Driver of the Aegis?"_

" _I've stuck with you this long." Vaios said, forcing himself free and holding out a closed hand. "Don't see why I'd ditch you know, brother."_

" _Hmhmhm, yes. You never would." Addam said, tapping his own fist to Vaios's, the teenager chuckling in reply._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Foooo this one was another fun bust out chapter. And whooo, Haze being in the main party is gonna involve repercussive edits down the line to this mess but ya' know what it's frickin' worth it. Among other things it should just save the party a good deal of trouble that could otherwise be avoided. Like that damn water tower! Also following a suggestion, I'm gonna Golden Country this and keep everyone to two Blades each… technically speaking due to how the story can go from here. Cause hey, what _else_ can I change now eh? Might as well go the whole hog.**


	5. Chapter 5

_A Turn of Fate_

 **Chapter 5: Aegis against the Jewel**

The morning for the party was buzzing now as the lot were going around making sure they had everyone for their mission. Tora was making adjustments to Poppi, and Vaios had been spending a few hours practicing with using Haze's staff to get used to the feel of it, sparring with Pyra to help out with making the process easier.

"Okay, adjustments finished!" Tora came out with Poppi in tow, carrying a large, round shield on his back, Vaios and Pyra ceasing their practice. "Vai-Vai used to new weapon?"

"Well, now I can definitely fight with it." Vaios gave the staff a twirl and brought it behind his back, spinning it up and into his left hand. "Though a couple hours of sparring is gonna have to lend way to actual experience in an honest fight. I'm better with blades personally speaking." He also palmed at the hilt of his own sword, then chuckled. "But, never hurts to learn something new."

"Right. So, we should start by finding out how to get to that root on the map." Pyra said.

"Tora, is there a good place we could see it from?" Haze asked, Tora nodding.

"Tora know good spot. On other end of Torigoth, near Empire barracks. Ship also very large, will be easy enough to see." Tora said, Vaios nodding, Azurda plopping into his hood as Vaios dismissed Haze's staff.

"Alright then, let's not waste time and get moving." Vaios slammed a fist into an open palm, giving a snicker. "So, let's make it clear again, we're obviously gonna be walking into a trap. They'll know we're coming even if we go in at night like the plan… so simply put, once we're inside and find Nia and Dromarch, we don't have an excuse not to go and bust our way out. Anyone sees us on the way, then we just knock 'em out and move on."

"Sounds like a plan." Pyra said. "So then, let's not waste time."

* * *

"There is Titan warship!"

With the party now on the other end of Gormott, Tora had guided the party. While the grand size of the Ardanian ship meant it was visible from many places in Torigoth, at this distance it was far easier to see in truth just how _massive_ the ship was.

"Geez. Thing looks more like a moving town than a battleship." Vaios said, shading his eyes with a hand.

"Mmm. Quite the impressive battleship." Azurda noted. "Another sign that Mor Ardain is readying once more for war with Uraya."

"I hope that isn't hurting the Titan." Haze said, Azurda shaking his head at her.

"Don't worry about it Haze. We Titans are resilient things. After all, Titans as big as Gormott here often have things like cave systems running through them. It won't do one any harm to say… well, I suppose it's not a thing that'd be pleasant to try and image, I will admit." Azurda said, Haze shuddering a bit.

"Hey, there's the root." Vaios was leaning over the stone fence, and he pointed down to a large root that, true to the map, was extending right out under the ship. "Lets see… we should be able to climb down pretty close to here. Let's get moving, it'll be dark in a short while."

"Off we go." Tora said, Poppi nodding along with the Nopon.

"Understood." Poppi added.

"Well that's a lot higher up than I thought it'd be." Vaios shaded his eyes as he looked up to the belly of the Titan ship. The clamber down to the massive root had been quick, and the sky was already starting to darken as time went. But despite the gap, Vaios gave a chuckle and unholstered his anchor gun, spinning it for a second before pressing a button to ready the anchor. "But, shouldn't be an issue to get up there with this trusty old thing."

Vaios aimed the anchor up to the ledge leading into the cargo passage, taking a moment before pulling the trigger, the line reeling out and landing into the ceiling of the passage. Vaios then hook the gun to his arm to keep it solid and reeled himself up, flipping as he detached the anchor and lightly landed on the floor. Going to the edge, Vaios held out the gun and reeled it out, the anchor lowering back down to the others.

"Alright, Pyra you first. Haze you go after. Hold on tight to the line alright?"

Pyra nodded and stepped onto the anchor (surprisingly it had an okay amount of foot room), and was quickly reeled up into the passage as the line was pulled up, Vaios helping pull Pyra up past the lip once she was high enough.

"So… there wasn't any… problems, were there?" Pyra asked, Vaios looking at her with a confused look as he lowered the line again.

"None at all. Haze, you're up!" Vaios called out, and Pyra gave a small, relieved sigh, a thing Azurda chuckled at noticing. After Haze was up in the passage, Vaios was ready to lower the line again, but, Tora held up a wing. "Hm? What's the deal Tora?"

"Tora appreciate offer, but, have own way up! Poppi?"

"Of course Masterpon."

Poppi grabbed onto Tora, and eyes went wide as the others saw flickering at the artificial Blade's feet, and as flames bursted out, Poppi was up in the chute in seconds. Tora laughed proudly, and Poppi gave a thumbs up.

"Well… that's freaking cool!" Vaios went from flat to astonished in a mere split second, Tora looking outright smug.

"Pretty amazing eh? Tora give Poppi all kinds of useful functions. Boosters just one of them." Tora said, rubbing his nose. "Like say, super strength as well!"

"Poppi could lift Gonzalez if necessary." Poppi said, Pyra and Haze looking confused.

"Big monkey monster that sleeps in the woods outside the plains. Not a big deal." Vaios said, turning around to face the passage before them. "Now lets get moving. Nia and Dromarch are waiting!"

Everyone else nodded, and they took off. The passage quickly led them up into a room with cloudy mist covering the floor, that and a shallow layer of water that started splashing up as soon as they hit the floor.

"What's this place?" Haze asked, Vaios giving a hum as he was already going for the ladder at the other end of the space.

"A Cloud Tank Chamber. Think of it was an intake. It helps control buoyancy when the ship is on the clouds. What's on the floor is pretty much part of the cloud sea that was left behind after it got out of it." Vaios hefted himself up, the party following after, and the path led them to the outside of the ship, at the end opposite the docks, showing nothing but the expanse of clouds stretching to the horizon.

The path continued up, and when they were up to the walkway, Vaios put a hand up, everyone pressing to the wall as they darted past the first entrance into the ship. Vaios peered in at one, and Tora at the other.

"Soldiers." Vaios said, keeping his voice hushed, moving back as Ardanian troops marched by.

"Let Tora check!" Tora moved a bit further into the passage, and then he quickly darted out. "There two guards! Tora think we near prisoner hold!"

"That's good then. Makes this easier." Vaios gave a hum, then nodded. "Alright, I got it. Tora, you and me will knock out the guards. Quick, and quiet, got it? Haze, I'll use your staff for this."

"Got it." Haze nodded, passing a hand to Vaios, her staff materializing and quickly dropping into Vaios's hand.

"Tora will use Poppi's shield!" Tora slung the shield off his back, Vaios nodding at him "Ready?"

"Let's go!" Vaios fucked into the first passage, Tora into the other. Vaios pressed up to the wall and waited, and once one of the guards passed by, his back to Vaios, he took the split second to peer out the other way, seeing Tora wave out one of his wings as the other guard began to turn. Vaios lowered his staff a bit and quietly ducked out, going right for the first soldier.

With a quick move, Vaios slung the staff around and slammed it under the soldier's chin, Vaios yanking the man down and around the other corner as the attempted yell as muffled, Vaios giving a quick smack to the man's head, causing him to go limp.

"Huh? What the 'ell was that? Where'd you go?" Vaios looked back out as the other soldier began moving towards, and then Tora shot out, jumping and slamming the soldier down with his shield, the Nopon hopping and landing flat on the man's head. "Nice one!"

"Mehmehmeh! Tora great!" Tora chuckled, and then moved the soldier to drop him near the other one.

"Alright, we're good here!" Vaios called out. Pyra, Haze (with Azurda on her shoulder), and Poppi filed in. They all quickly moved into the following path… and ran headlong into a vent. "… this feels really antithetical to design."

"Don't worry, Poppi handle this!" Poppi stepped forward and pressed her hands to the grate, pushing for a few solid seconds, the grate then blowing right off, and _thankfully_ without a large amount of noise going with it. "There. Grate removed!"

"Excellent job Poppi!" Tora cheered.

Everyone then dropped down to the next hallway. Vaios checked to the left, shaking his head as he could hear the humming off that way.

"Probably a regulator room or something. Let's go this way." Vaios led off elsewhere, and as they rounded into a much shorter, door lined hall, they came to a stop.

"Masterpon, Poppi can feel there is Blade in the vicinity." Poppi said, Tora bouncing in surprise.

"But… how can Poppi tell that?" Tora asked, Poppi shaking her head.

"Unclear. Poppi feel other blade like wave in the air."

"That would be because Blades, in a way, disturb the normal flow of ether." Haze said, stepping into view of the Nopon and Blade. "We Blades have something of an innate ability to sense one another due to our sensitivity to changes in the ethers flow. For me and Pyra, this would come naturally, but for you Poppi, this must feel brand new, right?"

"Yes, very new." Poppi said, nodding to Haze.

"Which must mean Dromarch is nearby." Vaios said.

"Let's try opening up some of these doors." Pyra said, Vaios glancing at her.

"And how do you propose we do that? I doubt those guards back there had the keys." Vaios said, and he suddenly looked worried when Pyra smiled at him as she approached the door at the end of the hall. "Uh… wait, you're not going to… Pyra please tell me you're not gonna do what I'm thinking you're about to do."

"Well I don't see much other options for opening it." Pyra said, holding a hand up.

"Uh, hey, Pyra, remember how we're trying to be _quiet?"_ Vaios shot up and grabbed Pyra by the wrist, the Blade glancing at him. "Maybe _don't_ blow a hole through a door, yeah? If you're gonna use your powers I'd say just… just torch the hinges off."

Pyra paused for a moment. Then she smiled as she gave a nod. She extended a finger out, focusing a flame onto it until it went bluish-white hot. Pyra took the flame to the hinges of the door and started moving across them, burning clean through the metal. After a few goes, the door began falling towards them, and incredibly quickly, Vaios managed to catch it, clearlying straining a bit with it as he edged to the side and set it against the wall, sighing as he managed to avoid a loud noise.

"Phew. So uh… hey, Dromarch, you in there?" Vaios leaned through the side of the door, and a relieved smile showed up when the tiger-like Blade came into view.

"I hope things didn't get too hot in there." Pyra said, popping up under Vaios.

"Vaios, Pyra!" Dromarch looked at the two in surprise, Azurda then clambering onto Vaios's head.

"Dromarch, good to see you alive." The old Titan mused… and then Tora, Poppi, and Haze also came into view, to Dromarch's clear surprise.

"It very good!" Tora said.

"Ohh? A Beast type Blade? How interesting." Haze said, then looking at Poppi. "And see what I mean Poppi?"

"Yeah! There really was Blade here!" Poppi cheered.

"Master Titan and… forgive me but, who are they?" Dromarch was looking at the new additions with wide eyes. "I mean it's great you found more companions, but this is rather surprising."

"Uh, yeah. I'll explain it to ya." Vaios said, patting Dromarch as the Blade stepped out of the cell. "But, first off, good to have you back."

* * *

"Hmm, I see." Dromarch hummed as Vaios finished explaining the past day and a half to him. "So, a new Blade for you, and the young Nopon here built his own. I must say that is quite marvelous. And it is my pleasure to meet the both of you, Lady Haze, Lady Poppi."

"Oh please, the pleasure is all mine." Haze said, bowing her own head as Dromarch took a bow to her and Poppi.

"Alright, so Dromarch, any idea where Nia is?" Vaios asked. "You two can still resonate enough, right?"

"Of course. I can feel milady's presence without issue." Dromarch answered, giving a deep hum. "It will be a bit of a trip though. She's being kept in another area of the ship entirely. Once we get there it won't be at all easy to get back the way you came in."

"Don't worry, I planned for that. We'll keep quiet as much as we can until we get to Nia. After that, if things go off, then we bust our way out. If we're lucky, then we may not run into that Brighid again. But, I still have a bad feeling… a ship this big has to have had someone important on it… and Brighid was here without her Driver."

"Not to mention, imperial soldiers been buzzing about for a while." Tora added. "Tora think Vai-Vai right. We should be wary in case dangerous person arrived."

"Agreed." Dromarch said, taking the lead before the others. "Please, let me lead us there. We'll have to tread lightly of course, soldiers will be all over the place."

"Will do." Vaios said, the others nodding in time with him.

With Dromarch now leading the party along, they moved out from the halls of the brig and up. They were led right to the boiler room. As Vaios scanned around, he quickly noted how steam was often being blown out and making it hard to see through much of the room. Vaios didn't even have to give a word as he looked to the others, who all nodded at him as they caught his idea from the look alone.

Moving quickly, the group shot through the steam as it was blown out, moving past the patrolling soldiers as they did. Repeating the process a few times over, they quickly made it up to the next level, which from the wood lined halls and less musty air, meant they made it to the area that likely housed all the soldiers and various other rooms.

Dromarch took the lead again, and after a short while they had to stop as the path led to a gate and a nearby room. Vaios moved against the wall and peered in, quickly moving back.

"Mess hall." Vaios said, peering back in. The large, wide room was filled with soldiers.

"Hmm… let me get the gate here." Pyra stepped across the threshold quickly, her hand going to the gate, sliding along until she found the lock. Producing another bright flame at her fingers, Pyra used it to burn into the lock, and once it broke with a popping sound, quietly pulled open the gate. "There we go!"

"Nice!" Vaios pumped a fist, and then looked back into the mess hall. Seeing not a soldier was looking, he waved the others to pass by, and once they were clear and through the gate, he shot by himself, closing the gate once Pyra was through.

"Not much further now." Dromarch said, taking the lead once more.

The hallway eventually came to an end, a single double door left to the parties right. With a nod to Tora as he gripped his sword, Vaios threw open the door and looked around.

"The living quarters… and predictably, completely deserted." Vaios smirked as he relaxed his guard as he saw that the rows of bunks were totally lacking in anybody's presence, allowing the entire group to themselves relax a bit more as they entered the space.

"Ah, a bit of room to breath." Pyra let out a sigh, the party taking the chance to sit down for a moment at the other end of the room. "Though not that we can spend a lot of time in here."

"Don't worry too much. We're very close to milady. I believe her cell isn't too far from here." Dromarch said, looking to Vaios as he moved back in from checking the halls. "How does it look Master Vaios?"

"Pretty sparse surprisingly. I saw a guy in the sickbay down the hall, and not much else. Most of the soldiers on here are probably running around the town right now. I'm also pretty sure Nia's gonna have guards at her cell, of course." Vaios said, leaning up against the wall.

"Tora will look for escape route after we deal with guards." Tora piped up, Vaios nodding to him.

"Good idea Tora, that'll work perfectly." Vaios said, then clapping his hands together. "Alright, let's go get Nia! No point dawdling around."

With affirmatives from the party, they all moved out again. Slinking past the sickbay in a chain and keeping under sight of the soldier inside, they moved into a bend in the hall. Pressing up to the walls again, Vaios peered around. True to his suspicious, a door at the end of the path was guarded. And luckily, he could see keys on one of the soldier's belt.

"No doubt about it. That's the place." Dromarch said, Vaios nodding.

"Alright then. Let's take them down quickly. If we start a ruckus it'll just alert the entire ship and make getting out even harder. Dromach, you with me?"

"Of course."

Quickly as they could, Vaios and Dormarch shot out into the passage, and just as the soldiers began to react, one was slammed into the wall by Vaios with a flying knee, and the other downed by a pounce from Dromarch. Vaios used his arm to pin the one he'd slammed, the soldier yelping.

"What the… you're the terrorist's friends aren't you?!" The soldier growled, Vaios chuckling.

"Yeah, we are. But she's no terrorist!" Vaios then grabbed the man and slammed his elbow clean into the facemask of the helmet, causing it to crack and leave the man to go limp. "Now just go to sleep, and give me those damn keys. Tora, Poppi, go look for a way out!"

"On it!" Tora and Poppi popped out from the side and dashed off the other way, Pyra and Haze stepping out.

"Alright, now, let's get her out." Vaios spun the keyring he'd looted off the knocked out soldier and rifled through a few of the keys for a second, finding the one that fit the lock and turning it. Once it had clicked the keys were tossed to the side and Vaios pressed down on the door's handle. As the door was opened, Vaios immediately gained a wry smirk as he saw a surprised Nia looking at him. "Well hey shorty. You look a bit disappointed I'm the one who opened this door."

"W-What? Of course I'm not, I just…" Nia muttered, Dromarch stepping in after Vaios.

"My lady. Apologies for my late arrival." Dromarch said, Nia smiling as she put a hand to her Blade's head.

"Don't mention it. I didn't think anyone was coming at all." Nia said, standing up straight.

"Ah like we'd actually ditch you." Vaios said, holding up two fingers. "Salvager's Code rule number two: Always help those who help you. I owed you for saving my ass the other day. This is the least I could do to repay the favor."

"That's you all over." Nia chuckled, tapping a fist to Vaios's as he held it out. "Thanks."

"Vai-Vai! Tora has found escape route! Hurry, hurry!" Tora came scrambling back in, Nia looking surprised at the sight of the Nopon.

"What the… just what on Alrest have you gotten up to that you've got a Nopon with you?" Nia said, Vaios putting a hand behind his head, in cue with Poppi, Haze, and Pyra stacking up being Tora, along with Azurda no perched on Pyra's head this time. "And two more as well…"

"We made some new friends along the way." Vaios said, Tora giving a wave. "The Nopon is Tora, and the other two are Poppi and Haze. I'll explain later, but like Tora said, we've gotta hurry."

"Fine by me. I'm ready to get off this damn ship." Nia hopped onto Dromarch's back.

"I would say we've overstayed our welcome here." Azurda added. "Time to get moving!"

"Don't have to tell me twice. Tora, take the lead." Vaios trotted out of the cell, Tora nodding and heading off. The now bigger party went back down the hall, and Tora veered them off to the right. The room they entered next was much larger, and the windows gave a view into a massive hangar just past the massive metal doors barring the way through.

"It looks like we can get out here." Pyra said, everyone scanning the room.

"Meh-meh-meh! Door is locked, no way to open!" Tora and Poppi had gone to the door, Tora expressing the noticed flaw in the escape plan.

"Even Poppi not able to break through this…" Poppi said, hanging her head in disappointment.

"We have another issue." Haze spoke up, standing at one of the control panels. "This has the door controls on it, but there's no power running to it. I can't get the doors open from here."

"Well there has to be a conduit somewhere." Nia said. "We're so close! We can't just be barred now can we?"

"Well… I think I found the answer to that." Vaios said, looking up to the level above, his eyes falling to a breaker panel near the catwalk. A smirk came to the teenager's face as he saw it. "Give me a few seconds. I'm no Aradainian shipwright but I know my way around an electrical system!"

"How are you even gonna get up there?" Nia said, Vaios giving her a wry look before whipping out his anchor gun and zipping up to the catwalk. "Ah… I honestly forgot he had that thing."

"Well, good news." Vaios spoke up, now looking over the panel. "Thing's just been switched off. For some reason. Lemme turn it on."

With a flick of the switch, the system hummed back on, Haze nodding.

"All good down here!" Haze said, Vaios hopping back down to the level below. "We're ready to go whenever."

"The inside of a Titan battleship is way different than the Monoceros, huh…" Nia hummed as she looked around the place more, drawing eyes to her.

"What is Monoceros?" Poppi asked, raising a hand up.

"Vaios, you saw it right?" Nia said, looking to the teen, who was busy going over the control panel with Haze. "Jin and co.'s block ship. You saw it moored at Goldmouth, didn't you? It's a pretty hard ship to miss."

"Of course I saw it. Damn impressive ship." Vaios said. "Even moreso since it's a non-Titan ship. Those are pretty rare to see, especially one that, well, works."

"I'm not expert, but that definitely seemed to be the case." Nia replied.

"Sound awesome! Tora want to see too!" Tora said, Vaios and Nia both giving awkward chuckles.

"Well, unless we run into those Torna guys again, fat chance." Vaios said. "And honestly I'd rather not run across that lot again for as long as possible."

"Meh-meh-meh-meh?!" Tora immediately went from taken aback to slouching, the Nopon giving a sigh. "Tora change mind. No need to see."

"Masterpon change mind at drop of hat." Poppi noted.

"The Monoceros looked pretty sweet, but this stuff isn't anything to scoff at either." Vaios tapped one of the panels to demonstrate, Nia nodding to the remark.

"For sure. It's full of things I've never seen before." Nia stated, now looking out into the hangar.

"Ah! That because this vessel is result of latest breakthroughs in Ardanian tech!" Tora added. "Regular folk never so much as set foot onboard!"

"Well then that makes us pretty lucky." Vaios remarked.

"Though by breakthroughs you mean salvaged stuff, yeah?" Nia said, Vaios giving a hum as he ran a hand over the panels, and again Nia could've sworn she saw a brief glow in his eyes.

"Well that's for sure, but there's plenty of new stuff made without a template here too." Vaios stated, staring hard at all the machinery around him. "Like these control panels. This kind of stuff is used to send signals through the Titan's nervous system. There's a lot of cables that run from here to all over the ship. It makes controlling signal flow much easier."

"Good eye Vai-Vai!" Tora said, giddily hopping next to Vaios and looking at the cables in the panel. "Oh oh! This cable type have 2.4 times the speed and 12 times the capacity of previous iteration!"

"Seriously? Damn, they've been doing some fine tuning from the last models I was able to look at." Vaios gave a hum as the thought went across, nodding along with his hand on his chin. "This puts them way ahead of other countries to boot. And I bet if this system was in a smaller Titan, it'd work even better than it is here!"

"Pin-pon! Correct!" Tora declared.

"Well… I'm glad they're having fun. But it's all just gibberish to me." Nia sighed as Tora and Vaios continued to go off on things about the tech they were looking at. Sans Poppi, the Blades had just relegated themselves to waiting for the chattering to finish. "What do you think Poppi?"

"Why Masterpon act so proud?" Poppi asked, Tora laughing.

"Hohoo! Tora glad you asked! That because tech used in this Titan battleship is same as what Poppi's muscles and drivetrain use!" Tora giddily explained.

"Poppi is surprised!"

"But however though! Ones that Poppi use are even more refined than these here!"

"Yet more surprise!"

"Are you saying you stole the tech from Mor Ardain?" Nia said.

"Really? C'mon Tora, that's not very sporting." Vaios said, Tora scoffing.

"Tora take calculated risk in cause of scientific advancement! As result, not even Ardainian scientists capable of reverse-engineer Poppi systems! So no worries there!"

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing. Ends justify the means as some would say." Vaios murmured.

"Upon learning secret of Poppi's birth, Poppi feel sense of unease…" Poppi said, Tora flinching.

"Eh, everything fine… probably." Tora's words weren't exactly ones that instilled a sense of security. "Now, we've chit-chatted enough!"

"Yeah." Vaios admitted, sighing. "Best not to get too caught up. We won't have a lot of time before people catch on, so let's split!"

Vaios slammed his hand down onto the control panel, the party rushing out into the hangar, and just across from them was the closed metal doors that no doubt led to the outside of the ship.

"Not much further to exit!" Tora said, though surprisingly, the door opened before they were even close.

"Not so fast my dear intruders!" With more confusion on their faces than anything else, the party turned to see that from behind them, Dughall (of all people), sauntering out and being followed by a large Blade that looked like a walking suit of armor, while also toting along an equally massive hammer. "Letting a terrorist from Torna out of my grasp would make me look very bad indeed! Ah, that emerald Core Crystal, you must be the Aegis!"

"… okay so, who the _hell_ are you?" Vaios said, still keeping that bewildered look, practically cutting the tension in the air with a sharp knife for what it was worth. "Like… seriously. You're coming out here like we're supposed to know who you are."

"Wha?! Why the nerve of… I am Consul Dughall, the man who runs this backwater hovel they call a city!"

"And that means absolutely nothing to me." Vaios sighed as he cracked his knuckles, an eye shut. "What I'm getting from that earlier comment though, is that you're after Pyra, right?"

"But of course I am!" Dughall said, sweeping his arms out. "The most powerful Blade in history, with the power to-"

There wasn't even a chance to let that sentence be finished before Vaios dashed over, his fist sailing up and slamming Dughall clean in the jaw, the short main sailing into the air before crashing down onto his back, gurgling but definitely unconscious.

"No point saying it to an unconscious man, but, we don't have the bloody time to deal with you." Vaios brushed off his knuckles as he sighed, and then he shot the nearby Blade a glare, said Blade flinching a bit. "Just take him and go. No use fighting you since Blades heal quickly… even then, I'd rather not fight pointlessly, so get!"

The Blade nodded, picked up Dughall, and lumbered off back the way they came, Vaios giving another sigh and turning, seeing that the party was staring at him in stunned silence now.

"What?"

"It's just… I don't mean nothin' by it Vaios, but you're kinda scrawny lookin', and you just scared off a ruddy _Blade_ that makes you look shrimpy." Nia remarked. "Not really somethin' you see every day."

"Not to mention punch man hard enough to make him fly." Tora added. "Tora did not think Vai-Vai that strong! Uh… not that, Vai-Vai not strong! No no, Tora not mean that!"

"I get it I get it." Vaios sighed, shaking his head. "But come on, we need to keep moving. Odds are if there _is_ a trap then _that_ fool wasn't the guy to be springing it."

"Right right! No time for chatter, need to escape!" Tora shouted.

"Masterpon is right. Chance of reinforcements very high." Poppi said.

"Let us make haste. Getting out of town would be a good start." Azurda suggested, Vaios nodding.

"Can't agree more! Let's move!" Vaios said, leading the dash out through the gate, the party hurrying out into the night covered base that the ship was moored to. They veered off to the entrance to try and dash out, only for the way to become barred by blue flames blazing to life and blocking the sole exit they were aiming for. "Yeup, definitely a trap alright!"

"These flames… that means it's her." Pyra said.

Though it wasn't just one figure that walked out from the flames, but two. Morag, wielding Brighid's swords and followed by Brighid herself, walked right through the flames and out into view of the party.

"And with her Driver this time." Nia muttered, her hands going for her rings.

"That's Mórag, the Flamebringer." Dromarch said, Vaios nodding, his hand resting on the hilt of his Aegis Blade.

"Yeah, I've heard the stories about her… Mor Ardain's Special Inquisitor. Mor Ardain's strongest Driver, and the user of their strongest Blade… heh, I actually feel kind of honored she'd lay a trap for some lowly salvager like me." Vaios gave a wry grin as he gripped the sword tightly, betraying to the others that despite airs, he definitely knew the woman facing them wasn't a person to take lightly in the least.

"You were right Vaios. They had to have been waiting for us." Pyra said.

"We did seem to get away too easily." Haze noted, grabbing at Vaios's sleeve. "Vaios, I have a little trick I can use to get us out of here, but I'll need time to check their ether flow. Can you buy me that?"

"We'll see what we can do… this better be something crazy."

"Don't worry, I think you'll be very impressed with it."

"I don't know why I even expected that Dughall would so much as slow you down." Mórag said, Vaios's grip on his blade getting tighter as the woman started to approach.

"So I'm guessing you're the mastermind behind this?" Vaios hummed, but his stance didn't match his casual tone. "I have to admit that whole execution rumor was handy… I would say I'm not a fool because that's horribly easy to see through if you know how things work… but I was reckless enough to run right into this knowing it was a trap."

"Ah, a shred of humility hmm? Well, I'm not sure what I was expecting anyway." Mórag said, giving a hum. "But you catch on quickly. I feel better, knowing my opponent isn't some nitwit who can't see a trap when it's in front of his face."

"Feels rather underhand if ya' ask me." Nia grumbled. "So, what is it you really want huh? Vaios and Pyra must be the real prize to you."

"Not quite." Mórag said, stopping and stilling herself. "The emerald Core Crystal is the sign of the Aegis. If that Blade is indeed the Aegis… then there's something I must do."

"I can see where this is going." Vaios murmured, pulling out the Aegis Blade and holding it at the ready.

"The power to sunder Alrest itself…" Mórag continued, looking to Pyra. "I cannot allow that to happen again."

"Mighty presumptuous of you." Vaios said, his blade igniting as he held it up, his gaze at Mórag cold as ice. "If you're about the mention the Aegis War, shove it. I know all about it… maybe you forgot there was _two_ Aegises back then. Now which one was it that was going around destroying Titans? I don't recall the stories saying anything about the Aegis with the emerald crystal… it was all about the one with the amethyst crystal."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Nia said, Vaios looking at her. "There were two? Since when was that a thing?"

"What?" Vaios muttered, glancing at Mórag, who looked just as questioning as Nia was.

"Really? I've heard little about a second Aegis… then again, history can be dulled over such a span as 500 years. Whatever the truth may be, however, that doesn't diminish the fact the power of an Aegis can do such things." Mórag said, lifting one of her swords and leveling it to Vaios's own. "But what I do know to be the truth, is that during the Aegis War, the Aegis's power sank three Titans to the bed of the cloud sea. That is naught but historical fact."

"That doesn't mean it was Pyra that did it!" Vaios snapped. "I don't need to guess where you're going with this… you want Pyra to be destroyed. You're the type who's answer is to make sure the same event can't be repeated, and take the most direct route of just pulling the problem out like a weed."

"Hmph. Again, I'll praise you on your wit. Using her as a weapon is precisely the kind of scenario I wish to prevent, so yes, my desire is to destroy her, if that is what it must come to." Mórag flicked her wrists, and the swords in her hands extended into burning whips that hung in the air after she lashed them. "And if you resist, I shall simply restrain you by force."

"Huh… of course. Y'know, you're actually pretty reasonable, Mórag the Flamebringer… but I'll make it clear to you. I'm the kind of person who keeps promises when he makes them, and I've got one to keep with her. So in the name of doing that, I won't let you or anyone else take her!" As Vaios held his sword to his stance, Nia and Tora readied their own weapons in silent agreement to join him in the impending fight.

"Hah. Then let's see if you have the strength to back up those words, boy!" Morag said, lashing her swords out, Vaios immediately blocking, the burning edges of both the weapons flaring against each other as Vaios deflected the whips to the side.

Nia shot forward and swung both of her rings down, Mórag parrying with her right hand blade incredibly quickly, the weapon retracting to allow for the swift blow. Vaios shot up during that moment and slashed at Morag, the woman stepping aside to dodge the slash, bringing her retracted blade up to block when Vaios swiped his sword to the side after her, Morag's other sword retracting and coming up to block the attack. This turned into Vaios and Mórag exchanging swipes and parries for a few moments, the two's footwork and bladework matching up like a dance as the flames being kicked up by the weapons flashed around.

But of course, not to be forgotten, Nia dived back in, her rings crashing onto one of Mórag's swords, the weapon then breaking down into it's whip form to lash the Gormotti back, Vaios retreating as the other sword did the same. And with the sound of thrusters activating, Poppi had lifted Tora up into the air, spinning around and throwing the Nopon right for Mórag. While in the air, the shield now in front of Tora produced a drill from it's front, and thrusters kicked on as Tora shot forward like a missile at the Ardanian Driver.

The blow was stopped when Brighid threw up a barrier, Mórag striking in time to send Tora back. As Poppi caught Tora, Vaios charged forward again, and as Mórag slashed at him, he jumped up, flipping the Aegis Blade around, but rather than striking with it, throwing it to Pyra who had herself charged too. The scream of metal being rapidly drawn sounded, and both Vaios's longsword and the Aegis Blade now in Pyra's hands crashed into both of Mórag's blades. The woman drew both swords across, locking both Vaios and Pyra with her own weapons.

"I'll commend that move, but unluckily for you Brighid told me about your style. I won't be caught off guard that easily." Mórag said, raising a brow a bit when Vaios just chuckled.

"Like I wasn't expecting that much… why do you think I came here with two Blades?" Vaios said, and now Mórag could see the Driver and Blade were very deliberately moving their swords to keep the blade lock tight.

"Lady Mórag!" Brighid shot over and raised a hand, multiples bursts of energy surrounded by wind crashing into the barrier that was formed, Haze twirling her staff and releasing gusts in sequence to keep crashing into the barrier. While Mórag's attention was shortly turned, Vaios's grip on his sword laxed, Mórag feeling her arm dip from the release. Mórag was already moving as Pyra traded off the Aegis Blade to Vaios, the young man taking both swords and slamming them past Mórag's guard, sending the young woman skidding back across the ground.

Nia and Tora took the chance to dive back in as well. As they struck at her, Mórag parried the strikes from the rings and shield, and gave a massive swipe as her swords extended into whips once more, a last of flames exploding outward. Nia, Tora, Dromarch, and Poppi all got Blown back and crashed to the ground. Haze had retreated and was at the least at the fringe of the blast, but had to guard against the shockwave, while Vaios was using the Aegis Blade to brake himself to a stop, Pyra in his free arm.

"Look out!" Haze shot in front of Vaios as he came to a stop, a barrier stopping an attempt to strike from Morag dead, the woman shooting back. "Vaios, I'll get everyone back on their feet, you keep her off!"

"Thanks Haze! Pyra, you alright?" Vaios asked, Pyra nodding as she stepped to the side.

"I'm good. Let's give Haze the time she needs." Pyra said, Vaios nodding.

Haze shot over to Tora and Nia, and Vaios brought the Aegis Blade up as Mórag struck at him. Like before the swords crashed together as blows were exchanged between the two Drivers, and while Mórag's strikes were hitting harder, Vaios wasn't losing ground against the woman. With a quick move as their blades moved, Vaios oriented his to be reversed, catching Morag's swords in the extended spines of the Aegis Blade, leaving the two struggling to either break or hold the lock.

"Stubborn boy. Why don't you just give it up?" Mórag said, Vaios gritting his teeth.

"Because I have every reason not to!" Vaios snapped, swiping his sword up and twirling to slice again, Morag leaping into the air to dodge the attack, landing smoothly and getting back on guard. "I'm not naïve enough to not get why people would want Pyra… be it to use her power or to prevent it from being used, I get any reason there could be to go after her. But I won't let anybody treat her like she's little more than some harbinger of destruction! There's more to Pyra than just being the Aegis. There's a place she asked me to take her, and answers I'm finally on a path to finding! So like hell I'd stand around and let _anyone_ take her!"

As Vaios lifted the Aegis Blade up with its flames bursting skyward, Pyra lifted a hand to him, a golden aura surging around both of them. The blade came down, and a wave of fire surged forward. Mórag threw both swords forward to block it, the stream of flames blowing to the sides, but the woman was pushed back a short-ways, visibly putting effort into the block.

"I was right, this is interesting. I almost expected him to be weaker… yet he fights like an experienced warrior. How odd." Mórag hummed, looking from Vaios to Pyra. "The power of the Aegis is formidable, and her Driver's skills certainly don't betray that… yet I feel an imbalance between them."

A wave of blue fire swept in front of Mórag, blowing aside the stream of flames and causing both blue and red fires to die down.

"I believe it is more because the Blade's power is betraying the Driver." Brighid said, Mórag glancing to the Blade. "An unknown power lurks within this foe. I feel it's safer to say the imbalance comes from the Driver's potential to surpass his Blade."

"Interesting outlook." Mórag replied turning back to Vaios and Pyra as they were rejoined by the others, streams of wind coming from Haze getting Vaios and Pyra to strand straighter and lose some of the fatigue they were showing. "This Blade he calls Pyra… your flames burn far stronger than hers. But… her flames hide something deeper."

"So, we're all good?" Vaios looked back to the others, Nia and Tora nodding to him.

"At least I'm not out, thanks to Haze here." Nia said.

"Those two very strong!" Tora said, Poppi nodding as she propped herself and Tora up.

"Haze, that little trick of yours ready? A battle of attrition isn't gonna do us any good at this rate." Vaios said, Haze nodding.

"I'm ready. I just had to familiarize myself with the ether flow." Haze said, "Once I do this, we won't have much time. I can only hold it for so long and from so far, especially on a powerful Blade like that. We should at least get further away from here, someplace that's more open to make getting away easier."

"Whatever it is, sounds worth it." Vaios said, looking around the base. "There has to be a spot we can break for… our best bet would be a place near water… and we're on the north end of Gormott… that's it!" Vaios gripped the Aegis Blade a bit tigher, and he gave a chuckle. "Guys, you ready to run? Cause we'll need to make a break for it as soon as I do this… also, hope you know how to swim!"

"Vaios, what the 'ell is running through your head?" Nia said, getting a bad feeling from the smirk Vaios had on his face. "Whatever you're thinking, I can tell it's crazy!"

"Crazy enough to work no doubt!" Tora added.

"Let's bloody hope it is." Vaios murmured. Vaios swiped the sword up and released a large blast of flames, Mórag countering with her own wall. Once that was done, the party immediately made a break for it, dashing through the gate of the complex, and while following after Vaios, they veered to the right. Mórag though, saw them running off as she swiped away the flames before her.

"So, what the hell is your grand idea?" Nia said, her eyes widening as she saw that they were coming up on a large lake and wetlands. "What?! That's your grand plan?!"

"Not just that obviously!" Vaios snapped back, looking to Haze. "Haze has a trick she'll pull. It'll by us time to put distance between us an them. Brighid may be strong but she's still just a fire Blade… so we'll put a body of water between us!"

"They could still come after us despite that!" Nia said, Dromarch coming up to her.

"Despite appearances I am sure those two must be tired as well milady." Dromarch said. "Plus, they don't have a healing Blade like Haze with them to help reduce fatigue. We at least have the tactical advantage here."

"This "trick" better be bloody worth it!" Nia shouted.

"Believe me, it will be!" Haze said, and the entire group stopped once they came up to the shores of the lake, Tora taking a defensive stance with his shield while Nia got onto Dromach. And just as expected, Mórag and Brighid were hot on their heels the entire time.

"Really? All you've done is back yourself to a corner." Mórag said, Vaios chuckling and storing the Aegis Blade on his belt, drawing the curious look of Mórag.

"Really? Because from my perspective you just fell for it!" Vaios said, holding a hand out to Haze as she lifted her staff up, that signature golden aura rising on the both of them. "So… what the hell is this gonna do?"

"Watch and learn!" Haze said, lifting the staff up height, the air beginning to ring as pulses of energy moved out in small streams of wind. Mórag stepped forward to stry and attack, only to stop as she felt like a sudden weight had landed on her shoulders, and she looked back to Brighid as the Blade slumped over, Brighid gritting her teeth like it was taking effort to even stay standing now.

"Brighid, what's happening?" Mórag said, Brighid giving a hiss.

"I don't know but that Blade… I think… no, she is… she's restricting my ether access!" Brighid said, Mórag's eyes wide as she looked back to the party.

With a snicker to it, Vaios pulled out the Aegis Blade and turned to the lake, a swipe of the active sword sending up a burst of flame that caused a wall of steam to blanket the area. Mórag could hear splashes and went to swipe aside the steam, but flames just wouldn't kick up on her swords now. By the time both the steam and the restraining effect on Brighid finally faded, when they were able to see the party, they were nearly dots in their vision at the other shore of the lake as they ran up the cliffs and into the woods.

"I feel… slighted." Mórag muttered, her shoulders sagging a bit, betraying the fatigue of the battle.

"How so?" Brighid asked, panting a bit, but feeling her strength slowly returing to her by the moment. "Was it because they held off on using that trick?"

"No. Because they actually held back against me in battle." Mórag said, turning to her Blade. "As you said, there's a power sleeping within the Aegis, and what we faced was likely hardly any of what she's truly capable of… though perhaps, maybe that is exactly why she takes that form. A way to shroud her true power behind something weaker."

"You're suggesting the Aegis isn't in her true form?" Brighid said, Mórag nodding. "Hmm… I do remember some of the tales saying the Aegis was a Blade who wielded holy light, and who's sword was as white as the clouds… yet this Aegis uses flames and has a red blade. Nothing like that was ever recorded."

"Hmm… another oddity of history… just like how the boy mentioned a second Aegis. Does he somehow know something others don't?" Mórag hummed as she also thought to the way Vaios spoke earlier, and then she gave a sigh. "As concerning as this matter is at the moment, if the Aegis is traveling with that boy, then perhaps it is worth letting them roam free for a while. He deliberately avoided the city when making his escape, which at the least tells me he has no intention of needlessly dragging others into this."

"You mean…"

"We'll cross paths again. And when we do, then we'll see." Mórag said, then giving a hum. "Well… I never learned the boy's name either… that's quite disrespectful of me, don't you think?"

"I believe they called him Vaios, Lady Mórag." Brighid said, then seeming surprised for a moment. "Odd… that name… have I heard it before? It sounds bizarrely familiar to me. One of my journals perhaps? Or maybe even somewhere else?"

* * *

By now the party had fled to be well away from Torigoth, enough that while they could still see the city, the run had certainly left even the Blades a bit short of breath.

"Looks like they're not following us." Pyra said.

"Perhaps we're safe for now." Azurda said, Vaios nodding, then shaking his head and sending flecks of water all over.

"We're definitely far enough… and thanks to Haze we had plenty of time to make good distance." Vaios pulled his bangs back and away from his eyes, Haze looking at him, soaked through as she was, with a proud smile on her face.

"Pyra, you set some grass on fire." Nia muttered, taking off one of her boots and draining water from it, Pyra yelping as she started stamping out the small flames that had kicked up by her feet. "Of all the things I was expecting today, a sudden swim across the lake wasn't bloody one of them."

"Does Gormotti hair dry quickly? Or is that jumpsuit of yours water resistant?" Vaios asked, currently wringing out his ponytail, Nia also hissing at him.

"Sod off! It's your fault we're all drenched to begin with!" Nia snapped, the group looking over as they heard Tora yelping. The Nopon was certainly dried off, somehow… but there was also that his tail was kind of on fire too.

"Hot hot hot hot hot!" Tora yelped.

"Poppi sorry Masterpon! Burst was a little too hot." Poppi said, Dromarch stepping over and stamping on Tora's tail to put out the flame.

"There you go." Said the tiger Blade, Tora letting out a relieved sigh.

"Here, let me patch that up." Haze held her staff out to Tora, the Nopon giving another sigh as the pulses of wind quickly healed up his tail. "There, all better… so… maybe we should also rest a bit, yes?"

"Yeah… I can agree with that." Vaios murmured, rolling an arm. "Surrounded by rocks and trees… seems like a good enough camp site to me."

"Tora is pooped as well." Tora said, yawning as he started to lay down.

"Hm. Well, see ya later." Nia said, Vaios making a noise as she turned around.

"We're grateful for all you've done for us. We wish you well on your travels." Dromarch also turned to leave, and Vaios puffed out a cheek a bit, giving a mutter.

"I'm serious about it you know! I really do want to reach Elysium!" Vaios shouted, Nia and Dromarch stopping and turning around. "It's not just because I made a promise to Pyra to get her there, and not just because it may get me the answers about who I really am. Sappy as it sounds, I want to get there because it's some goddamn hope! I'm not expecting much, but if the stories are true, then hoping for something like that is better than nothing… and I'd say it's a lot better than going back to a group that's clearly out against everybody who isn't them."

"Well you're clearly as to the point as ever I see." Nia noted.

"Yeah well it's also kind of because half the world seems to be after Pyra, and that _includes_ your old mates at Torna." Vaios said, gesturing to Pyra. "Look… I'm not stupid enough to be blind to it. This isn't a thing I can do alone, fighting Mórag made that clear. She's not the only Driver of that level of power that exists, I'm sure of that. And then there's Torna too… people like Jin and Malos. If I'm gonna reach Elysium, then I'm going to need help. And, well, one salvager with two Blades, and a Nopon who built a Blade ain't exactly enough to scour Alrest to find a way past the Great Void so we can actually get to the World Tree."

"I'm honestly surprised you've thought that far ahead… then again you're a lot smarter than your typical salvager." Nia said, Vaios giving a sarcastic snicker.

"I'll have you know not every salvager is a nitwit." Vaios then approached Nia and held out a hand, back to a more casual grin. "But if you stick with us, then trust me when I say I'll have your back. I know believing in Elysium sounds idiotic… but I just can't shake the feeling about it. I'm connected to that place, somehow, and Pyra said it's where she was born, and yet she's down here… and I need all the help I can to reach it. Whether it's the Elysium everyone talks about or something else entirely, I want to get to that place and learn the truth."

"I don't know if you're just too nice for your own good or just stupid in another way." Nia said, giving a sigh. "What if Pyra's just lying? What if this is all an act, and she's just going to stab you in the back once the jig is up hm?"

"She wouldn't." Vaios said, utter confidence in that statement.

"Of course I wouldn't. I don't have a knife." Pyra said, Vaios flinching a bit and bringing a hand to his face, while Nia busted out laughing.

"I don't think she meant it that literally." Haze pointed out, Pyra looking to the side, showing a troubled look. "If you'd allow me. I know that I've really only been here for little over a day and only know of what happened before because of Vaios and Pyra, but, Lady Nia, might I ask, what's _your_ plan? To go back to those Torna people, after they showed themselves to be so willing to cast aside the lives of others for a goal they won't tell you? What do you expect to happen if you return to them?"

"Well… ugh, geez… I'm as clueless to the end goal of this mess as you lot are too yours." Nia muttered, giving a long sigh. "An emerald Core Crystal is the sign of the Aegis eh? Ah what the hell. This could be interesting."

"Ah well look who's comin' around!" Vaios chuckled, stepping forward again.

"My lady?" Dromarch asked.

"If Elysium really _does_ exist then I kinda do wanna see it for myself." Nia admitted, tapping Vaios on the arm. "If it's got this fool here so confident in it, maybe there's reason for me to listen to that nonsense a bit. Alright Vaios, thanks to Haze you've got me convinced. I'll stick around and see where all this goes… traveling around Alrest seems rather fun, honestly."

"Hehehe, who knows what we'll get out of it huh?" Vaios held out a hand again, and Nia took it in a firm shake, Vaios snickering. "Glad to have ya' aboard!"

* * *

A little while later and further up, the party had made a very rough camp nestled under one of the larger tree formations in the plains. While everyone else was asleep around the fire that had been lit, Vaios and Pyra were still awake, Vaios staring up at the expanse of stars above as he laid back using his arms to lay his head on.

"I swear, there's something more up there." Vaios reached a hand up and closed it, a flash coming to his mind. That same lookout high above the world, looking out over the planet itself… and past it, a continuous structure that looped all around it. "Rhadamanthus, the Low Orbital Stations, the Solar Ring, the Conduit… all of these words in my head, and I haven't the damndest clue what they mean or what they actually refer to."

"I honestly wish I could help you there but, my knowledge is about as limited as yours is right now." Pyra said, poking at the fire with a stick, Vaios sitting up with a sigh.

"But you _do_ know things about me." Vaios said, getting a nod, then he laid back down as he let out an annoyed groan. "I can presume that has _something_ to do with the fact I am apparently somehow connected to Addam himself but… then there's the other images. The ones of a world with cities that touch the sky, of blue oceans stretching to the horizon… those feel even further back than something like that would be. But, Pyra… answer me honestly, am I really, _somehow,_ connected to the events of 500 years ago, to Addam?"

"Yes, you are." Pyra said, Vaios sitting up again. "Ironically, you actually knew Addam longer than I did. You two were the closest people could be, practically brothers in every way but actual relation to each other. That pendant you have, you told me before it was a gift from him. A sign that you'd become part of the family."

"This huh?" Vaios palmed at the pendant, staring at the flame crest on it, then letting it go and grabbing at his head. "But now that just says more! If that's the case how could I even be alive now?! None of that makes any sense to me!"

"I'm sure you'll remember it eventually… I meant it when I said there's more to you than just being a normal person." Pyra said, Vaios flopping back again.

"I can't help but feel kinda miffed I somehow don't remember anything about you if that's the case." Vaios murmured, putting a hand up. "All I see is a blonde girl in white… I remember her being kind of a brat, someone I felt oddly responsible for… and her name, Mythra."

"It's… complicated." Pyra said, Vaios looking at her. "Mythra is… another self, I suppose. I have all of her memories and experiences, but, I wasn't "born" until the end of the Aegis War. You guessed it yourself, my flames come from something more akin to light… Mythra's light."

"Well this is surprisingly direct." Vaios hummed, sitting back up as Mythra started letting flames dance around her fingers. "Another self huh? Well, that doesn't make you any less of a person who deserves to exist. I suppose though… that'd mean it's kinda like you and Mythra are sisters, yeah?"

"Hahahaha, that comparison makes sense. Which'd mean I'm the younger sister." Pyra mused, giving an honest laugh, Vaios chuckling as well. "Right now, you could say Mythra is still sleeping. Not sure what could wake her up, but, you might wanna be a bit careful. She can be kind of cranky."

"I get the weird feeling I know all too well… which I probably do going by what you said." Vaios said, humming as he looked back up to the stars. "You know, even though I have that memory of looking out over the world… I like this better."

"Hm?"

"Looking at the stars! Sure some high on in the heavens view is cool but this? I mean just look at it." Vaios panned a hand out, tracing it over the myriad of lights in the sky and all the formations the various colors made, like one was staring at a painted canvas. "You can only see something like this when you're down here with your feet on the ground. Maybe it's cause all the time I used to spend bored out of my mind reading books on Azurda's back left me without much else to do but stargaze, hehehe."

"Well… I remember this is a thing you'd do a lot, actually." Pyra said, Vaios flinching when she put a hand on top of his. "Back then whenever we were camping out, you'd always shoot off to find a spot to get a good look at the sky. I believe what Mythra said was "You're downright obsessed with the sky, aren't you?"."

"I suppose I am." Vaios said, putting his other hand behind his head. "I feel a weird sense of solace when I look at it. Like, the sky is an escape from something for me… some, nagging memory in the back of my head that prefers to see the sky over the earth. I don't get it at all honestly."

"Well, I don't think being someone who has his head in the clouds is s bad thing." Pyra said, Vaios looking to the side as an embarrassed blush rose up, Pyra giggling. "Oh I don't mean it like that. And besides… when you've got something like the World Tree visible everywhere, looking up to the sky is natural, isn't it? Like, you just want to know what's up there, what those branches reach to."

"And if they go even further than the ring of light surrounding them." Vaios added, Pyra looking at him with a smile. "I can't shake that feeling either… that the World Tree goes even higher than we think it does. So hey, you got anything _else_ about 500 years ago about me that might trigger something?"

"Hmm… well, from what I heard apparently you're the reason Addam hated spicy food."

"Huh?"

"Yeah apparently some prank with a super spicy vegetable dish."

"… well there was this one time I made Rex gag by doing something like that a couple years back. Kid's hated spicy foods with a passion ever since." Vaios gave a hum, and Pyra started laughing, though his look went somber a bit next. "I've also been stuck on something Azurda said… he told me that I _know_ that Jin guy… and I don't think he was wrong. When he stabbed me on that ship… I suddenly felt something well up. Just this… feeling of bewilderment and betrayal… and then there's Haze… a Blade Azurda was holding onto for some reason, why would he…"

And then that familiar pang in his head again, now coming along as he looked over to the sleeping Haze.

* * *

" _Owowowowowow! Dammit that freaking hurts!"_

" _Vaios, sit still and let Haze fix you up."_

" _I'm trying to Lora but… AHAHAOOWWW! Warn me before you pop my arm back in Haze!"_

" _Sorry Vaios!" Haze backed off a bit as her fingers tenderly moved back from Vaios's left arm, the young man slowly moving the limb and flexing his fingers. "How does it feel now?"_

" _Sore as hell." Vaios grumbled, getting a pat on his other shoulder as Lora sat down next to him, the young woman's red hair waving about a bit._

" _And this is why I told you asking to spar with Jin is a bad idea. You're not even a Driver, what made you think it'd end well?" Lora said, Vaios grumbling as he looked off to the side. "Oh don't grumble at me like that."_

" _Why would I not is the better question." Vaios said, holding his left wrist in his hand, Lora sighing again. "Well how else am I gonna get better hm? Jin's the Paragon of Torna himself! There isn't a Blade better with a sword than him!"_

" _What are we gonna do with you? I swear Vaios, if it wasn't because Addam is even more reckless than you I'd wonder how you're not in pieces." Lora added, holding Vaios's arm in place as Haze got to wrapping a bandage around a cut on his arm._

" _Well we should at least give you the credit you at least aren't so reckless you'd actually do anything actively life threatening to yourself." Haze said. "Besides this was just an accident, Jin didn't mean to hit_ that _hard when you blocked."_

" _I know he didn't try to." Vaios responded, rubbing the bandage. "Either way, thanks."_

" _Lucky for you Haze is here to patch us up." Lora said, tapping Vaios on the head. "So long as you don't do anything_ too _stupid, she'll be here to patch us all up."_

" _And it'll always be my pleasure." Haze said, Vaios giving a chuckle._

" _Again, thanks… now where'd Mythra get off too? Milton said I need to keep her away from cooking… again."_

* * *

"Vaios? Hey, Vaios!" Pyra was waving her hand in front of Vaios's face, the boy shaking his head as he snapped out of the daze he appeared to be in. "Finally. You were out for a few minutes. You okay?"

"Yeah I'm… I'm fine. I just, remembered something." Vaios brought a hand up to his face, giving a sigh. "Haze's old Driver, Lora…"

"Yep. She was only a part of our little group for a while but, well, you two were close." Pyra said. "Just the kind of thing were two people click and become instant friends."

"Yeah, I got that feeling." Vaios murmured, then a thought came along. "But… Lora was Jin's Driver too… and it's been 500 years, so she can't be… but, then how is Jin still around?"

"I… I don't know." Pyra said, gripping Vaios's hand again, this time tighter. "But… let's get to sleep for now. It's too much to discuss right now."

"Yeah… I can agree with that." Vaios murmured, looking up at the stars one more time as he and Pyra laid down together. _"Just more and more questions keep piling up the more I remember now… Jin… what happened to you? 500 years ago, the Aegis War… what_ really _happened then? And just how was I involved with it to have memories like that? Mythra… I wonder… what would she tell me in this situation?"_

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Uuuugghhh finally! At this rate I think I can just bust into Uraya pretty dang quickly from here, hehehe. Oh good progress is always great! Plus I'm actually getting along to personally finishing the darn game itself. That's always fuel for the fire. Aight, see ya' next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

_A Turn of Fate_

 **Chapter 6: Ever Onward**

Elsewhere from the events of Gormott, far and away and deep within the cloud sea, away from prying eyes of any kind, the _Monoceros_ drifted beneath the clouds, the massive ship approaching a structure that quickly opened to it, the grand ship lifting up into a harbor within. Jin and Malos exited when the ship docked, and near immediately were approached by a young man with dark hair and glasses, trussed up in armor akin to theirs and carrying twin, slender swords at his hips.

"Welcome home Jin." The young man greeted. "I hear the Aegis was awakened. Nasty shock for you? Or was it? Of course, my script showed how everything would play out from the start!"

"Sure, you say that once it's all over and done with." Another, female voice bearing a particularly grating tone to it spoke, a Blade of humanoid shape drifting down from above and floating around. "It's easy to act smug when you have hindsight on your side!"

"Shut your mouth Obrona!" The young man, Akhos, snapped, brushing aside the Blade as she snickered.

"Where are the other two?" Malos asked.

"Mikhail is out inspecting the Ardainian "factory", and my beloved sister is out hunting, as always." Akhos replied, scoffing a bit. "I'm sure she's found plenty of Drivers to chew up and spit out right now."

"She likes to hunt alright. Not sure we can use all of those Core Crystals though." Malos remarked.

"Do we know where the Aegis is right now?" Jin said, veering things to the main topic. "Let's just say we want to be quick. Her Driver is someone we can't fool around with."

"Have no fear Jin, of course we know her whereabouts." Akhos said, not a shred of doubt in his voice. "Obrona?"

"Yeah yeah."

With a gesture as she flited out, the Blade produced multiple flecks of light that rapidly increased and spread out, creating a projection of the area around the World Tree and the Titans that circled it.

"Hm, it seems they're currently traveling away from the urban area in Gormott." Akhos said.

"Leaving the town? But there's nothing out that way." Malos murmured.

"Perhaps they're on their way out of Gormott itself." Akhos suggested. "Oh, and…"

"What?" Jin asked.

"It seems a certain "shipment" has set out." Akhos noted, looking to a rather large blue light near a different Titan.

"The Core Crystals headed to Indol for "cleansing" huh? How pious of them." Malos scoffed, looking at Jin. "Shall we handle them?"

"I can deal with that myself. You focus on the Aegis. Let me restate it, we cannot be leisurely with her Driver in the slightest." Jin's words got Malos to scoff a bit, folding his arms as an amused look came to his face.

"You mean that brat? What's so dangerous _about_ him anyway? You know him or something?" Malos asked, Jin nodding.

"I know him very well. It's why I don't want to take chances. He was dangerous without a Blade, and becoming the Driver of the Aegis only means he'll be even moreso. If given the time to grow, it won't be long before it'll be difficult to stop them." Jin stated, Akhos giving a scoff.

"Coming from you that sounds like rather high praise. This has only made me even more interested then. I'm looking forward to clapping eyes on the Aegis, and if her Driver is as formidable as you say, even moreso." Akhos chuckled a bit, then turned. "By the way, what of Nia?"

"You know where she is?" Malos asked, Akhos nodding, pointing to a dot on Gormott, which was gathered around several others of different colors.

"Yes, this dot here. That is without a doubt Dromarch's wavelength. It seems they're traveling with the Aegis." Akhos said, then giving a hum as he looked at the dots. "Huh, that one there is odd. It's definitely an ether wavelength, but it's not a Blade… that's interesting. What could be giving that off?"

"It's nothing to worry about." Jin said, his eyes focused on the emerald colored dot. "Do as you see fit."

"Understood, you don't need to ask me twice." Said Akhos, adjusting his glasses as he smirked.

"Right then, we're gonna take the _Monoceros."_ Malos said, turning to Jin. "And I'll tell your old friend you said hello for you when we see him."

"As you wish." Jin said, walking off, stopping when Malos called out to him.

"Hey, don't do anything too reckless." Jin just nodded to that and kept going, Malos and Akhos turning to enter the _Monoceros_ again.

* * *

"Alright so… now to calibrate this damned thing." With the fresh light of morning now on the party's camp, Vaios was fiddling with something in his hands, and Tora leaned over to see what he was doing.

"What is that?" Tora asked, Vaios angling the item so the Nopon could see.

"A cloud sea compass. Salvager's kit essential, basically a map of the cloud sea." Vaios said, turning some of the dials on the item. "Hmm… hey Pyra, what's the date?"

"Um… October 5th, 4064." Pyra answered.

"Thank you! So just put that in annnd… there we go." With a few clicks and winds, the compass whirled as things placed themselves, the others raising their brows a bit as it all slid into place.

"Very clever!" Tora said.

"Looks like Gormott is the closest country to the World Tree right now." Azurda noted, Vaios nodding as he pocketed the compass in his satchel.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean a whole lot… well, there is one thing. I know it's kind of stupid but I want to at least investigate the area around the Great Void if we can." Vaios said, Nia lifting a brow at him. "I know, I know. Like I said, kinda stupid."

"Of course it ruddy is! The Great Void is just that, a bloody void! There's nothing there _to_ investigate." Nia said.

"I know. But I think it's at least worth looking at. Someone made it up the Tree before, right? Well there's gotta be a way to do it."

"Yeah but that was 500 years ago, _before_ the Void appeared."

"I'm not saying I'm gonna try anything… yet." Vaios saying that got Nia to sigh again. "I just want to take a look and see what's really there… of course for that we need a ship."

"If something bad happens 'cause of this you owe me a night on the bar." Nia muttered.

"The army has every ship in town in it's grip, so our options would be rather low there." Dromarch said, Vaios folding his arms. "And taking a ferry may not be the easiest thing to do. I wouldn't be surprised if there's wanted posters already."

"Peh. Hope this one's better than the last at the least." Nia bitterly remarked, glaring at Vaios when he snickered. "But… we're kinda stuck."

"Seems that way." Pyra said.

"Well, there has to be _some way,_ right?" Haze said, putting a hand to her chin, in somewhat the same manner Vaios did the same gesture at that. "Does anyone have an idea?"

"If ship what we need, Tora have good idea!" Tora immediately put one of his wings up, the group looking to him. "There is ship builder living at Gormott Titan's bum-bum! Old friend of Tora's Grampypon. He called Umon! Maybe he help if we tell him what's what!"

"I don't see why not. Let's go pay this guy a visit then." Vaios said, turning off, then giving a bit of a chuckle. "So I guess we can say this is probably where things really start now huh? Full party, a goal ahead… yeah something's gonna go wrong eventually I can just feel it."

* * *

"Here we are!"

Tora stopped the party as the trekking finally brought them to a small dock this far down the gorge that formed Gormott's rear area, next to the dock being a sizable building, likely a boathouse plus actual home fitted to it.

"Well lead the way in Tora." Vaios said, the Nopon nodding before heading off, leading the party into the ship house.

"Helloooo? Umon! Umon?! Where is Umon?" Tora hummed as he called out, and dominating the yard was, though suspending, the body of a ship. It wasn't quite large but it was definitely big enough to be worth traveling on with the amount of people they had, plus room to spare. Shortly after Tora's call, another Nopon appeared from up on the rigging, hopping down and looking over the party.

"Who is that? Who is noisy while I do my work?" The Nopon said, but a moment later he let out a laugh. "Oh, Tora! This is big surprise!"

"Long time no see Unclepon!"

"Yes! Long time! About one whole year?"

"Yes, about that."

"You became very big in one year Tora!"

"Yes, Tora not littlepon anymore!"

"And Tora have lots of sidekicks."

At _that_ Vaios cleared his throat rather loudly, Tora giving a sigh of his own.

"Vai-Vai and friends not Tora's sidekicks! They are real friends Umon!" Tora said, the others nodding all together. "Vai-Vai, meet Unclepon Umon! He did great research with Grampypon! He is great builder of ships!"

"Good to know, nice to meet you." Vaios said, the other party members giving their own greetings in turn.

"I see! Tora's friends! Tora has lot of friends. Very good!" Umon said, giving a laugh. "Tora has become fine biggipon." At that Tora gave an embarrassed laugh. "Well Tora, did you need Umon's help for something?"

"Well, we wanted to borrow a ship, from Unclepon Umon." Tora said, Umon giving a confused look.

"A ship? But there are lots of ships in Torigoth!" Umon gave the answer that was about expected, the party looking sideways. "Why hike all the way to bum-bum to see me."

"Well… it's kind of a complicated situation." Vaios said, stepping up as Tora stammered a bit. "And the place we're trying to go check out isn't really one most ships will actually go to if you ask them so, well now we're here hoping you could help us out."

"Y'sure fibbin' like that's smart?" Nia said, whispering into Vaios's ear.

"Not like we've got much of an option." Vaios's voice was more like a hiss at that moment. "I can't just say we got into a tussle with the Ardanian military now can I?"

"I guess you're right." Nia muttered.

"We also flat proke, like penniless pancake!" Tora said. "Tora spent all money on Artificial Blade, hehehe."

"Artificial Blade?" Umon said, giving a hum, the Nopon's eyes glancing towards Poppi. "Was this what Tora's Grampypon was working on?"

"My name is Poppi. Pleased to meet Unclepon." Poppi greeted, nodding her head down.

"Yes! This it!" Umon said, his voice growing excited. "This very mighty! Tora take after Grampypon indeed! Ohh well… how can I refuse Tora now? Tora and friends may use Umon's ship, but there problem."

"I detect a fetching errand incoming…" Vaois muttered, his teeth grating a bit.

"What is problem?" Tora dared ask, Umon drawing the party's attention to the ship.

"You see, ship not quite ready just yet." Umon replied, one wing(?) scratching his chin(?) as he looked the ship over. "Not much left to do! But work stop, because no building parts!"

"That's it?" Vaios asked, his face showing he seriously hoped there wouldn't be anything else. _"Please just let this be simple!"_

"Correct, but that is big problem! Big like sea or mountain!" Umon said, Vaios sighing.

"All you need is parts to finish it, right?" Vaios said.

"It just as you say friend." Umon answered.

"I can tell where this is going… you need us to find the parts you need yeah?"

"Will be big help if you can! If you do, then Umon finish ship, and you borrow."

"Haaagh… alright, whatever we have to do. Let's go and make this quick!" Despite saying that though, Vaios definitely didn't seem amused at where this had gone, not one little bit.

* * *

"And we're freaking back!"

Umon turned as the party came back through the door lugging various items with them, the Nopon bouncing as Vaios laid down some of what he had on the floor.

"Meh-meh?! Friends really brought all materials requested?" Umon looked trough the sacks of things, and he nodded rapidly. "This indeed Puzzletree Oak and Diamond Wood. Very impressive! This should be enough to make strong boat frame. But, too soon to celebrate. Please don't be angry…"

"No, no, it's fine. We have time… hopefully." Vaios muttered, folding his arms.

"Maybe we have all bits we need but… Titan escaped."

And with _that_ Vaios slapped a hand to his face.

"Now this I _have_ to hear." Nia said, snickering as Vaios groaned.

"Umon unfortunately forgot to feed poor Titan. So it swam off with rumbly tummy." Umon said, Vaios letting out an even louder groan behind his hand, Pyra patting him on the shoulder. "So friends must go find Titan. Naughty Titan was heading for Nasmah Spring, surely you find it there. Once you find Titan, feed it Green Pollen Orbs I provide you. That form contract between you and Titan. As long as you feed Pollen Orbs, it gladly serve as your boat. Of course if you run out of…"

"Just give us the dang Orbs so we can get this thing and be done!" Vaios snapped.

* * *

"Architect be damned this was too much trouble." Vaios sighed as he leaned heavily on the wheel of the ship, the party now quite a ways from Gormott after the utter hassle it was to so much as _get_ to this point.

"I thought you'd be more excited about this." Pyra said, Vaios sighing.

"I would… if we didn't spend half the freaking day running around Gormott to _get_ here." Vaios grumbled, looking out past the glass of the steering area, pulling up his goggles to help filter out the sunlight, the World Tree tall and imposing before their ship. "Never been this close to the Tree before… things gigantic."

"Well, I will admit it's quite a sight more grand from here then when you're lookin' at it from far away." Nia said, looking over to where the sea suddenly dropped off. "Careful around here Vaios, the currents really strong. We get pulled in and we'll go right over the edge of the Void, and who ruddy knows _what's_ down there."

"I'll stop us around here." Vaios cranked the wheel so that that the ship would turn so they could view the area better, and with a pull of a lever, the Titan came to a stop. "Now as for if there is any way across that thing…"

"Hmm… I can't see anything but the sea for miles. There may not _be_ a way. But… why is there even a void to begin with? Wouldn't the clouds be right up to the Tree?" Haze said, leaning on the side rail. "Nia, didn't you mention something about it not being there before?"

"Yep. Some 500 years ago or another, apparently the Void didn't exist." Nia said, leaning on a hand. "Nobody really knows why it showed up though. Religious coots suspect the Architect made it to punish people after the Aegis War or… somethin', I dunno. Don't have much for faith personally."

"Then there's gotta be _some_ reason for it." Vaios said, pulling down his goggles. "Pyra, what do you… Pyra? You look kinda tense, something wrong?"

"We…" Pyra murmured, Vaios raising a brow as she suddenly looked panicked. "Vaios, we can't stay, here! We need to turn and go _now!"_

"Wait what? What's going… shit." Vaios immediately got it when something made the ship rock, and something burst from the clouds. A giant structure, some kind of machine that towered over the ship with no telling how long it was due to the expanse of it's body descending deep into the clouds, the thing's "head" turning to the ship, a mechanical roar sounding from it.

"Ophion!" Pyra shouted, Vaios already getting to turning the ship around.

"An Artifice?! Alright, ship's turning, we're getting out of here!" Vaios felt that moment of confusion again as he spat that word out, though he didn't care much at the moment as the ship began pulling around.

"Ophion, stop this! What's wrong, can't you hear me?" Pyra's eyes went wide as she looked at the machine, like something just clicked into place in her head, her eyes showing she'd come to a realization that was not at all pleasant to have come to find out. "It can't be!"

Ophion raised the end of it's tail and slammed it down, though the ship was narrowly missed, but it was knocked away. Ophion though, didn't pursue them, instead coiling back and heading back towards the World Tree.

"What the hell?! Since when did the World Tree have _that_ guarding it?!" Vaios yelled, and then he immediately yelled when he turned around. "Aww shit… Titan in front of us… it's Uraya!? What is it doing around here at this time of year?!"

The Titan that was looming before the ship and opening it's jaws was suitably massive, whale like in shape, and Vaios cranked the wheel to try and veer the ship off, but, the current was too strong, and the ship was getting pulled right into the Titan's maw.

"Shit shit shit shit! This isn't gonna end well! Brace for it, grab onto something!" Vaios shouted, the ship being pulled in and veering off, everybody screaming as the ship plunged into the mouth of Uraya.

* * *

"Owww… everyone alive?" Vaios groaned as he got up, looking around to see that, aside from being able to clearly see the sparse opening of Uraya's mouth quite a ways off, the ship was in complete ruins around him. From his belt, he pulled out a flashlight and clicked it on, flashing it around. "Pyra, Haze? Anyone else?"

"Uh… I'm here! I'm fine!" Pyra called out, pushing aside some wreckage, Haze popping out with Azurda on her head.

"I'm good too!" Haze said, Azurda weakly putting a hand up as well.

"Uch… that hurt." Nia muttered, the girl slumped over on some of the wreckage, Dromarch shaking his head. "Hey Vaios, remember what I said earlier? Yeah… next town we get to, you're paying for me to drink myself under the damn table."

"Hehe… good to know you're fine Nia." Vaios said, shaking his head a bit, some flecks of water flying off his hair.

"Meeehhh… Tora and Poppi in one piece." Tora said, he and Poppi getting off of some crates.

"Alright, so nobody's dead and injured too badly." Vaios murmured, looking around as he flashed the light around the cavern. "And now we're in Uraya… great. Out of the fire and into the frying pan right?"

"Somewhat I suppose." Azurda said. "Though I suppose shipwrecking in the belly of the beast and living Is better than what could have awaited us with that Ophion thing."

"Tora think this not nice place." Tora said, looking off to the things that _weren't_ so luck around here.

"We'll be fine." Vaios said, flashing his light towards a not too far off hole. "There's a way out at least. It'll be one hell of a trek from here, but it shouldn't be too hard to reach Fonsa Myma. Once we get there, we'll get on a ship to Argentum, and… well let's just focus on not becoming Titan chow right now."

"If I recall, Fonsa Myma is towards the beast's back." Dromarch said. "It will definitely be quite a ways as you said Master Vaios, but there has to be a way up there without a doubt."

"Well then let's get moving." Vaios said.

With nods all around, and some time to sift through the strewn about crates and barrels for supplies they could likely use, the party gathered up and headed through the path forward. While they were in what was pretty much the Titan's throat, grass was all around beneath their feet, though the path branched downwards into a cave that had a particularly foul scent to it, so they stuck to the upper path through the cavern that was this location of the Titan. It did thankfully open up rather quickly for them, Vais able to shut off his light and hook it back to his belt.

"What's with that dim light?" Nia asked, looking upwards to where it was filtering down.

"If I remember, Uraya has a translucent hide." Azurda said. "I bet that'll be the light filtering through it."

"Well at least we know Uraya's above the clouds now." Vaios said, suddenly putting a hand to the Aegis Blade, the others noticing how quickly he went tense. "Someone's here."

"Well well, you're a sharp one aren't ya' boy? Goody for you, that's admirable!" The one who spoke jumped down from a ledge above, the person being an downright wall of a man dressed in military gear, his complexion dark and his hair a bright blue, with a face that was strong and showed some age, two weapons on his back, and accompanying him was what was no doubt a Blade. Humanoid yes, but also birdlike in every way. A couple of other Drivers and Blades accompanied the pair, and the large man gave a chuckle as he looked over the party. "Looks like a bunch of mushes I ain't seen yet. You gotta have pretty damn bad luck, ending up in a Titan's guts like this."

"I'm beginning to think so myself honestly." Vaios muttered, not removing his hand from his weapon at all.

"Huh? That Blade… an emerald Core Crystal!" The man looked to Pyra, and Vaios stepped in front of her as he nearly drew his weapon out. "Bwahahaha! So the rumors are true!"

"Words gotten around that fast huh?" Vaios muttered.

"'Course they 'ave! News travels fast between Drivers. Words been that the Legendary Aegis just woke up from a 500-year nap. Wouldn't have thought she'd show up with a baby-faced Driver like you though."

"Say what?!" Vaios snapped.

"I'd say pretty rather than that." Pyra said so under her breath, Nia tapping the Blade on her back.'

"Focus Pyra." Nia said.

"I mean hey at least ya' don't look like some total greenhorn." The man said. "But handling a beaut like the Aegis? Maybe that's a _bit_ past you."

"Lemme guess your next line: Hand her over, right? Hehehe… hell no!" Vaios pulled out the Aegis Blade and ignited it, aiming it at the man. "Sorry but we don't have time for this. But, if it's a fight you want, then fine!"

"Hehehe, you've got heart kid. I like that." The wall of a man said, pulling out his own weapons, the two shafts producing scythe blades from them. "Yew, Zuo, you take care of the others. I wanna squash the boy."

"Vaios, I can just restrain their Blades and we can go." Haze said, Vaios shaking their head.

"No. Again, I don't want to rely on that ability. Focus on keeping us up right… besides, I don't have a bad feeling about this guy for some reason. So let me fight him, I'll get why he started this once we do."

"Alright." Haze said, twirling her staff into her grip.

Vaios nodded to Tora and Nia, who had readied their own weapons too. The large man took the charge, Vaios shooting forward and meeting the scythes with the Aegis Blade, the weapons sparking as they slammed against each other, the man surprisingly fast despite his massive build, though Vaios's smaller size and quick footwork meant he didn't have trouble parrying and deflecting the power hits from his opponent, but, neither was really gaining or losing ground as their weapons clashed in a series of blows.

Nia and Tora's opponents were by contrast due to their foes having Common Blades, a bit simpler to deal with. But, even if the Blades weren't that special their Drivers clearly new what they were doing, and while Nia didn't have a difficult time keeping up thanks to her fast movements and how quick she could move her rings compared to her foe's axe, Tora's inexperience was keeping him on the defensive as he blocked the strikes and stabs from his foe's spear.

That left the fight between Vaios and the large man as the main source of it. After finding a chance to move back, like usual Vaios handed the Aegis Blade off to Pyra and struck out with his own sword. The combined attack seemed to catch their foe off guard for a brief moment, but thanks to his twin weapons he was able to avoid anything direct from the two attacking him.

" _I knew it… something's different."_ Vaios though, a small grin showing on his face, and a glance at Pyra told him she was seeing something else in this two. "Haze, swap in!"

"Right!" Haze lobbed her staff to Vaios as he slammed his sword back into it's sheath, and the moment he grabbed the staff, he swung it wide, bolts of air ether flying out, the large man dodging them but moving back with each one. He almost looked disappointed as Vaios kept it up. But when one swing looked like he was going to launch more bolts, instead he tossed the staff back to Haze, and Pyra passed her blade back to Vaios, who grabbed it and immediately brought it down, a wave of fire shooting forward. The man's blade came in and blocked the wave, but, his Driver was smiling despite it.

"Well well, you seem to know what you're doing kid." The man said, flipping one of his scythes around. "But playtime's over!"

As the man charged right at Vaios by launching off of the wall, Vaios saw what was coming. With a quick move, Vaios brought his blade up and blocked, and when the blow was stopped dead, the man chuckled, not even trying to push against the blade lock he and Vaios were in.

"Well well kid, you seem to be a fast learner." The man said. "Switching your Blade out after using that many attacks in a row eh? You actually get you can wear your Blade out too quickly by doing that."

"Drivers use their weapons to channel ether from their Blade into Arts. You use them too fast, and your Blade will never keep up with what your doing. Even an Aegis like Pyra can't keep steady if I just rush every attack out." Vaios lowered his sword and the large man stood straight as he lowered his scythe in turn, a move deactivating the Aegis Blade, Vaios setting it over a shoulder. "So, you done testing us now?"

"Hahahaa! You could tell eh? Sharp senses, good intuition, and a natural talent for being a Driver. Seems calling you unfit was wrong 'o me." The man said, setting one of his scythes over his shoulder, and as he relaxed, so did the other two Drivers with him, to the confused looks of Nia and Tora. "The name's Vandham. I run a little firm out of the nearby village."

"Vaios. Nice to meet you." Vaios put out a hand, and Vandham clapped it to his, the two giving a firm shake.

"Hehe, a pleasure! That fightin' style of yours is interestin' too. Ain't never seen a Blade and Driver fight with each other. May have to try it myself later! Seems mighty useful!" Vandham clapped a hand to Vaios's back, the boy lurching from it. "Now come on! I'll treat the lot of you to some grub as thanks for letting me take a whack at the legendary Aegis! Bwahahahaha!"

"Hehe, I like this guy already."

"You could tell he was just trying to test us?" Haze asked, Vaios nodding as he put the Aegis Blade back to his belt.

"Azurda always said I've got a good fighter's intuition. You can understand a lot about a person if you slug it out with 'em." Vaios said, Pyra stepping up as Vandham and his men led off.

"I felt it while we were fighting to. From the very start, he never meant us any real harm." Pyra said, then chuckling. "I think it's a good thing you impressed him like that too Vaios."

"Hehehe, ya' think?" Vaios laughed, Nia walking up and whacking him on the back.

"Don't go gettin' a big head now, else ya' might not be able to hold it up." Nia remarked, Vaios mugging at her.

"Funny Nia."

"Well, what's taking you lot eh? C'mon, it's not too far! Also, mind telling me how you lot wound up here?" Vandham called out to the bunch, the party quickly moving to catch up with the man, Vaios giving a sigh as they did.

"Well, it's _definitely_ a story." Vaios said. As the now larger group hiked along the trail, Vaios recounted the events up until then to Vandham, from the dive on the derelict ship, their fight with Mórag in Gormott, and the encounter with Ophion at the World Tree. By the time they had reached a gate that led into another cavern, Vaios had finished the quick summary of things.

"Helluva story! Trying to reach the World Tree to get to Elysium, and ya' get swallowed up whole instead." Vandham said, Vaios sighing as he put an arm behind his head, the group passing the gate. "You got some crazy luck!"

"It feels like it fluctuates." Vaios said, the group stopping. "I gotta ask, what were doing around the mouth eh?"

"This Titan's not too picky about what it eats." Vandham replied. "I went down there to see if there was anything the village could use that was washed up. Though going from the satchels you lot have, seems there wasn't much with ya to begin with."

"Hehehe, yeah we did kind of _just_ get the ship. And now we don't have it… man we are gonna owe Umon big time." Vaios muttered, Tora giving a hop.

"Tora believe will be fine! If we tell Unclepon Umon circumstances, he understand. Not much you can do when Titan suddenly swallow whole." Tora said, Vandham giving a heaty laugh.

"You're little friend's right about that. Sometimes Lady Luck just ain't in your favor. Either way, here we are. Welcome to Garfont. It ain't much, but it's home." With a gesture of his arm, Vandham drew the party's attention out. The village was just big enough to fit inside the admittedly rather spacious cavern. Enough buildings that one could guess there was a decent population living here, and plenty of natural formations providing more, from water paddies, and as they went further in, one lower area had been cleared out into a training zone, where they could see some Drivers training, and even some kds practicing with mock weapons alongside them. Small, sure, but bustling with people from all over. They looked around and saw a mixture of Ardainians, Gormottis, Nopons, the works, and Blades wandering around as well.

"Wow, you don't see a place like this often." Vaios said, and he felt something oddly nostalgic as he looked around the place, like the sight of people living alongside Blades in such a way just… meant something. _"Torna… this place is like Torna…"_

"There's a lot of children here." Pyra noted.

"It's small, but so lively." Haze noted, stepping to the side and waving as some kids ran past here.

"Lots of Drivers and Blades too!" Tora said, fluttering around a bit.

"We're in the business of deploying Drivers and Blades all across the world." Vandham said. "Most of the kids are war orphans. Took 'em in while on the job."

"So you're saying that you take them under your wing." Dromarch said.

"Just until they're able to make it by themselves." One of the Drivers with the group said.

"Some of them might grow up to be Drivers, like ourselves." The other man said. "But then others might become tailors."

"Doesn't matter what they wanna do with their lives. We leave that up to them to decide." Vandham added, Vaios giving a hum as he swept over the village.

"Hehe, well, a place like this definitely makes one feel a bit better about the world." Vaios added, Nia punching him on the arm, but she had her own amused smile.'

"Lookit you, gettin' all sentimental and the like. A buncha good eggs though." Nia remarked, Vandham laughing again.

"You said it. I've been called worse things. Now come on, let's eat. All this egg-talk is making me hungry." Vandham led the group off, and Vaios took a moment to look around the village again… and he felt that familiar twinge in his head once more…

* * *

" _What is this place?"_

" _What, never seen a Titan before?"_

"… _what's a Titan?"_

" _Whoa you're… you're not serious are you? Ya' didn't conk your head and lose your memories did you?"_

" _What?! No! I'm not amnesiac!"_

 _Vaios stamped a foot down at the insinuation of that. Addam stepped back a bit as Vaios outright snapped. They were in the middle of a large square, with people milling around… and with many of them, things Vaios didn't recognize. Addam had called them Blades, but he had no idea what that even meant._

" _Well then why don't you know what a Titan is? I mean, Titans_ are _what everybody lives in."_

" _No, no they don't! People live in cities on_ continents, _not giant creatures drifting around a sea of freaking clouds!"_

"… _you sure you're not crazy?"_

" _YES!"_

 _Addam only tilted his head, and Vaios took in and let out a deep breath, putting a hand over his eyes._

" _I'm sorry, it's just… this is way too much for me to process all at once." Vaios muttered, Addam just shaking his head._

" _Well hey, don't worry. Just take your time alright? And uh… try not to be so loud will ya? People are staring now." As Addam pointed that out, Vaios muttered and pulled up the hook of the jacket he was wearing… in fact, the clothes he had on were completely different than what everyone else around him was. Even with the hood up he still stuck out like a sore thumb in this crowd. "Now… where did you say you're from again? Your clothes certainly aren't from any place I know of."_

" _Even if I told you it wouldn't matter… where I'm from is likely below all these clouds. They've gotta be thick enough for form an ocean beneath the upper layer… maybe they cover the entire world?"_

" _From below the cloud sea? I'd heard the rumors but…"_

" _Not what I meant." Vaios dryly cut Addam off, giving another long sigh. "So… where am I anyway? What's this… Titan's name?"_

" _Hehehe, glad you asked! Welcome to Torna, one of the best places in Alrest, a place where humans and Blades live side by side!"_

" _I hope you realize that means absolutely nothing to me."_

" _Well don't ya worry Vaios, I think it will soon."_

"… _you're a strange person Addam."_

" _Hehehe. I've been called worse."_

* * *

A short while after, the party was gathered around a table at the villages small, under-a-canopy tavern, Vandham with them. The table was absolutely loaded, and probably most notable of all was the sheer number of empty beer mugs in front of Vandham. Vaios for one, was sitting at his spot dead quiet, eating but doing so slowly.

"I'm going to get some water, Vaios, Vandham?" Pyra spoke up, Vaios just shaking his head.

"Cheers love! Gimme a beer!" Vandham said, Vaios just shaking his head as he looked amused at the fact the man was calling for _another._ Pyra nodded and stepped off to do that, Vandham looking at Vaios. "What's up? Grub not too your liking?"

"Huh? No just... sorry, I was just thinking about something." Vaios said, giving another sigh.

"Well, spit it out. It's clearly weighing on you. I don't mind lendin' an ear." Vandham said, Vaios sighing.

"Well… the thing is, I can't remember a thing from before when I was thirteen… or at least, that's what it _seemed_ like to me." Vaios said, leaning on a hand. "I get these flashes all the time. Usually they're too short and fuzzy to really mean anything. Sometimes I remember words without any real context to them, and just say them, even though I have no idea what they really mean. But then sometimes, I get stronger ones… and I get full memories. But… they hardly feel like they make sense. I see people, ones I feel familiar with… but who, every time I look up anything about them, are either long dead or people have no clue what I'm talking about. It's… weird…"

"Really? _How_ weird?"

"Like, I-might-somehow-be-from-500-years-ago-or-more, weird." Vaios said, Vandham raising a brow.

"So what, you some kinda time traveler?" Vandham had an amused look, Vaios shaking his head as he laughed.

"Architect no!" Vaios said, his laughter dying out quickly. "But… Azurda and Pyra, they know more about me than I know about myself. And like you said, Pyra just woke up from being sealed for 500 years… but she said it herself, she, or, I guess the other her-Mythra-knew me… but that doesn't tell me a whole lot. And I know it sounds crazy, but apparently I knew freaking Addam."

"Bwahahaha! You're saying you're not only somehow from 500 years ago, but still looking like you're barely gettin' into manhood, but that you knew the Hero of Torna himself?"

"… yeah I know, I sound like a crazy person."

"Crazy sure, but maybe with a lick 'a truth to it." Vandham now was the one being looked at weird by Vaios, the man chuckling. "I consider myself a fairly good judge of people, the quality of their character and the kind of person they are. You're not somebody who'd lie, I can see that much without you even needing to say a word… and there's somethin' special about you kid. I don't really know what it is, but you've got this quality about you. You're different than others, but in a good way. If it somehow means you're able to, well, be in the position you are, I don't see a reason to feel like you're crazy for it. You're huntin' for the answer ain't ya?"

"Yeah, but it just feels like every time I find one, a dozen new questions come up."

"Well sometimes life just throws things at ya' like that. All you can do sometimes is roll with the punches. You're at least on the right path ain't ya?"

"Yeah, I definitely feel that way, at the least." Vaios murmured, looking over at Pyra. "It's not something I can really say I'm overly worried about, honestly speaking. I like my life how it is… but when things like this happen, it makes you want to know."

"I get that. I guess if you didn't have these things happen to ya', you could just happily carry on with your life without worrying about it. But it seems you yourself won't allow for that. Heh, I guess you've got some promises to keep don't you?"

"Hehehe… probably."

"Hmm… hey, Vaios, what're your thoughts on war?" Vandham's tone got serious when he said that, and Vaios gave a hum as he set down the fork in his hand.

"Well… I guess I can say that like most people I dislike it. But… well, it's not something we can really avoid. I guess you can tell I'm a salvager, right? I've pulled up my fair share of things to sell to the military. I want to say I'm neutral but I mean, hey, money's money right? And besides, it's not like all the military needs are weapons." Vaios said, Vandham nodding, the man looking satisfied with that answer.

"Exactly. In the end it's all the same. Compasses, valves for ether stoves… Armies need all these things. That bread you and your friends are eating is made from ruska flour, straight from the Ardainian governments supplies." Vandham looked around the village himself, giving a long breath, Vaios remaining quiet, clearly intent to listen to the man. "This world's full of war. Don't matter if you're a soldier or not. As long as you're alive, you're in the war, some way or another. Don't ya think?"

"I guess so." Vaios murmured. "You can't stay neutral forever, sometimes you have to pick a side… even if you think the reason behind everything is stupid and cruel. But… that's life sometimes. Fate isn't always kind to people. Sometimes it's horribly unfair."

"Exactly. It's why I set up this little band, so I could protect the people I care about." Vandham said, folding his arms. "Vaios, you're the Driver of the Aegis. And if what you said about knowing Addam is true, that means you're carrying on your friend's will by having that girl with you. And for it, the whole world's gonna try and scalp you. Nobody really remembers the truth about the Aegis War nowadays. Some people say there were two Aegises who fought against each other, some say there was only one, and her wild power is what destroyed those Titans. It's been so long nobody knows the real truth, so they make an answer based on what they do know. With that in mind, how you gonna live with everyone gunning for you?"

"Well… I don't know. But, I do know I'm not gonna run or leave Pyra behind. I keep the promises I make, even if they seem outright impossible." Vaios said, Vandham nodding again.

"Good words. Alright then. I'll let you lot rest up, since I think you need it after the kind of day you've had. I've got a job I want your help on tomorrow, so be up bright and early alright? Bawahaha, though I guess bright and early here means it varies!" Vandham laughed, getting up and waving as he went off towards the training area, his Blade following suit, Pyra just getting back to the table and tilting her head.

"Oi, Vaios! Now that we're here, start paying up! You owe me drinks remember?" Nia called out, Vaios sighing as he tapped his still lightening coin purse.

"Yeah yeah! Just don't get too crazy with it all right?"

"Oi ya brought this on yerself, now come on!"

* * *

"And she drank herself until she passed out… I did not think she was that serious about it." Vaios sighed as he, Pyra, and Haze went to another room at the inn they were staying at in Garfont for the time, and Pyra laughed a bit as they stopped at the door, since they'd all decided to stay in separate rooms based on Driver and Blades.

"She did seem to have fun at the least. Didn't take Nia for the happy drunk, but hey, you never know." Pyra said, and Haze chuckled as well.

"It was rather amusing. Well, I think I'll watch over Nia with Dromarch. I should be able to help her keep off the hangover she'll have to deal with in the morning. Good night you two!" Haze waved as she went off the other way, Vaios and Pyra returning the gesture and entering the room, Vaios immediately flopping onto the bed and giving a satisfied sigh.

"Ahh! Nothing like being able to sleep in a bed after a few days of camping on hard ground!" Vaios chuckled as he spread his arms out, Pyra sitting down on the other bed. "Hey, Pyra… I had another flash today."

"Oh? You did? What was it about?" Pyra said, a curious look on.

"I don't really know the full context of it but… I guess it was when I first met Addam or something? I guess something was up… I didn't know what he meant when he said Blades or Titans, and I just remember at that time I felt really confused… it wasn't much to go on though."

"Ah. Hmm… I think Addam mention that before. He said when he first met you, you didn't know a thing about Alrest, but you weren't lacking any memories either. It was one big empty puzzle about who you were."

"So not much different than now eh?"

"Hahaha, I suppose so."

"Y'know, now I'm just curious: With this whole deal, what was it like back then? Between you and me… or, I guess Mythra… well, agh man it's kind of confusing trying to sort it out." Vaios sat up and put a hand to his head, Pyra chuckling and sitting next to him.

"No, it's fine. I was wondering when you were going to ask honestly." Pyra said, Vaios giving a hum. "In short, well, you two were close. Amusingly, you were closer to Mythra than Addam was even though he was her Driver… though that's also likely the reason he wanted you to take up being the Aegis Driver. Though it wasn't the easiest thing at the start. Mythra didn't really like you that much at first."

"A lot of people don't like me when they first meet me." Vaios said, giving a smirk. "I'm a brutally honest, scathingly sarcastic and stubborn ass. That tends to rub a lot of people the wrong way."

"Hehe, yeah that's true. But you're also friendly and well meaning, so you're easy for people to warm up to." Pyra said, and her leaning on Vaios's back made him flinch. "There was a lot of things Mythra had a hard time expressing too. But she cares about you a lot… it devasted her back then… when it seemed like you'd died… even being here right now part of me still can't believe it."

"I promise to come back alive, even if I have to fight 100 Artifices." Vaios muttered, a hand moving to one of Pyra's, the girl grasping it tightly. "I remembered something like that coming to mind… a promise I made to her. Guess I kept it after all, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did."

"So… how do _you_ feel about me Pyra? I know it's cynical but… you're not just projecting off of your memories from Mythra?... I doubt I'm the same as I was back then. I won't be the same person, even if I end up somehow remembering everything."

"I… I think it's more like you just growing." Pyra wrapped her other arm tightly around Vaios's chest, and the boy blushed a bit. "At your core you're still the same. And you still act like how you would've at that time. And… maybe at first it felt like that's what it was. But now I know it's not that. I trust you completely Vaios, and every time you push forward I can't help but feel happy… I feel like as long as I stick with you I don't have to worry about losing hope."

"Well now I'm just embarrassed." Vaios laughed as he turned around, him and Pyra both freezing when they ended up with their faces too close for comfort. A few silent moments passed, and the two started inching their faces closer to the other. When the gap was almost gone, Pyra froze for a moment, but only a moment. She let Vaios close the gaps and their lips met, Pyra's arms going tight around Vaios's chest, staying that way once they parted.

"Vaios… heh… you have no idea how much I've been wanting to do that."

"Ehe… glad the impulse reaction didn't go badly." Vaios said, Pyra chuckling and pulling him down, Vaios using his arms to keep from their foreheads almost slamming into each other, then yelping when Pyra's embraced tightened on him. "Pyra?"

"Please just let me hold you like this for a bit." Pyra said, Vaios nodding and rolling so that they were on their sides. "Hehe… you feel warmer than usual."

"Well we were just sitting around a camp fire until recently."

"But you still smell like the ocean does."

"Heh… yeah, consequence of being a salvager I guess."

"It's fine, I like it." Pyra mused, then blinking a bit. "I feel something… Vaios are you…"

"Ahehehe… well, uh… it's not really a conscious thing sometimes y'know?" Vaios looked to the side as his face went red, Pyra giggling. "It's just… you feel really soft and they're kinda pressing into me and… s-sorry, I'll shut up."

"No, I don't mind at all… if you want to do _that_ uhm… I'd like to as well."

"… eh."

"Come on don't be silly." Pyra said, tapping Vaios on the nose when he looked stunned. "… please? I want to do more than just kiss you tonight."

"P-Pyra… y-y'sure?... why am I asking? That face says you're serious…" Vaios sighed to himself and Pyra chuckled, nestling her head onto Vaios's shoulder.

"Don't question an Aegis when she knows what she wants."

"That sounds familiar." Vaios murmured, then nodding to himself and shifting, putting himself above Pyra. "I could say some crud about taking responsibility but… I don't think I need to say anything else do I?"

"No, no you don't."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I believe there's an image tag that'd be appropriate here… we all know what it is and I'm sayin' it anyway: "And then they had lots of sex." Let's not beat around the bush. Haha! Despite that, I for one busted this out in a single frickin' day and only left off at one point because Apex Legends and Final Fantasy XIV are becoming time sinks for me… among other games. I also FINALLY freaking finished Xenoblade 2 for myself before getting back to this, so hey that's a notch on my belt… time for Challenge Mode stuff and then NG+… and then Torna the Golden Country. See ya next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

_A Turn of Fate_

 **Chapter 7: Coming Tides**

 _The faint sound of a blade moving through the air, along with rhythmic steps across the wooden floor. Vaios's arms moved steadily as the slender longsowrd he was swinging repeatedly moved through the air, practiced moves of different strikes, both two handed and one handed, all rapidly in succession. With a few more swings, the repetitions finished and Vaios ended with one strong swing, strong enough the candles in the room nearly flickered out._

 _With a spin of the blade, Vaios placed the tip to the sheathe and slid it down into the wooden item, a good_ clack _sounding as he forced it in tight. He turned when he heard the door creak open._

" _You really never do stop practicing, do you?" Golden hair swayed before eyes of the same shade, the girl's white garb accented by pieces of gold and green, with black filling in certain bits and covering her legs. "Can't you just become a Driver like Addam keeps suggesting to you?"_

" _I've said it plenty of times Mythra, just not gonna risk it." Vaios said, taking off the belt holding his sword on it, placing it on the table of the room. "I consider it best to play it safe. Besides, if I remember the last training session, I beat_ you _without a lot of trouble."_

" _Oh don't get cocky! Not like I've had lessons from the best swordsman in Torna. You're also just crazy. Who spars against someone like Jin without a Blade and keeps up?" Mythra said, then smirking. "Though I do remember your shoulder got knocked out of place."_

" _That was an unlucky shot!" Vaios sat down on the bed as he folded his arms, Mythra still smirking as she stepped over and looked down at him. "Drop the smirk."_

" _What smirk? This is just my face." Mythra mugged at Vaios, who laid down and rolled over. "What, admitting defeat?"_

" _No, just tired. And there's a cat making too much noise. So, shoo." Vaios waved a hand at Mythra, who's brow twitched as her lips shuddered._

" _Oh I'll show you who's making too much noise!"_

" _HEY! Don't hit me dammit!"_

" _You earned it jerk!"_

" _Tch, fine then, try me!"_

 _And perhaps unfortunately for the bed, it became a slugging match between the two within mere moments…_

* * *

Vaios's eyes cracked open, and a groan left his throat as he sat up, feeling his head throbbing. It was almost bothersome by this point how frequent this was getting for him. It was like even the slightest thing was setting off what _seemed_ to be memories.

"I guess it could be worse." Vaios sighed as he folded his arms, causing his shirt to shift a bit. Then thinking on it, his mind wandered to the previous night, a red tinge coming to his face. "Heh… we didn't get that far despite the mood… now I just feel embarrassed about it. I definitely got too wrapped up in the moment back there."

"I'm partly to blame too." Pyra didn't shift where she was laying on the bed, Vaios looking the other way as he put a hand behind his head. "I'm uh… sorry if cutting it off where we did made things awkward. I just, well… as things are now, I don't think we should go _that_ far yet. N-Not that I don't it's just…"

"It's Mythra, right?" Vaios asked, Pyra turning to look at him, the boy sighing as he looked at a hand. "I had another memory come back. I suppose that since Mythra is still asleep, you want to play it safe right?"

"That and… well, I suppose I just don't feel right when you still don't remember everything." Pyra said, sitting up and using the sheet to leave herself covered. "But, it's good to hear more memories are coming back to you."

"It's getting to be a bit bothersome now. It happens too often." Vaios muttered, moving off the bed and starting to put his clothes back on. "But… progress is progress I suppose. No use complaining. Also… random question but… is it possible for you to change the form of your weapon?"

"Hmm? Why do you ask?" All it took for Pyra to redon her clothes was a wave of her hand, and Vaios hummed as he folded his arms.

"Well, not that the sword as is doesn't work but… it almost feels awkward using it that way for me. Like… I should be using another kind of weapon if I want to bring out the best I've got. So, well, I was just curious if it was possible. I mean you _are_ the Aegis, so it's not like you're an ordinary Blade." Vaios held up a finger as he spoke. Pyra produced her weapon with a wave, holding the red blade and shifting it a bit.

"Reconfigure a Blade's weapon hmm? I can't say it's really ever been done. As it is, a Blade's weapon will be as is from the moment they form, and it'll always be that way." Pyra said, Vaios clicking his tongue and sighing. "But, there is more to the Aegis after all. I'm not too sure about it all myself. But, I know that much."

"I guess that makes sense." Vaios took the sword back and looked it over a bit, staring at the gem inlaid into it. That shape still caused his mind to tick a bit… he somehow knew it as something else. "The Conduit and the Trinity Processor… tch, more words I don't have context behind."

"But the fact you know them means _something_ at the least." Pyra added, Vaios shrugging in a manner that said he was pretty much relenting on the manner more than anything else even when it clearly bothered him. "Just give it time."

"Well time might apparently be something I have plenty of."

Of course it was going to be bothering him, but, there wasn't really time right now to think on that. There was a job to take care of after all, not that they knew about it yet. So once the two were ready, they left the room of the place where their party had been set up at. The other members were all seated at the tables and eating breakfast, at least those who _could._ To Vaios's amusement considering how she'd been acting the other night, Nia was laying on the table and groaning.

"Ugh… next time we stop at a place… stop me before I drink _too_ much. Gagh this _sucks!"_ Nia's head lolled to the side, and she glared as Vaios sneered at her. "Oh don' be sneerin' at me now ya' git."

"You brought this one entirely on yourself Nia. All I did was pay." Vaios said, tapping the Gormotti on her head, which earned him a prompt swipe from her.

"I at least made sure it wouldn't be so bad. Though it's not like my healing is much good for a hangover." Haze said, Vaios shrugging. And before any more chatting could go on, Vandham and his Blade approached the group, the man giving a hearty chuckle as he looked them over.

"Well you all seem well and rested, besides the cat. She's definitely had it better, ahahaha!" Vandham's hearty laugh came with Nia just groaning again, Dromarch nudging her with his snout. "Now, as for why I'm here with you lot. There's a job we got asked about to take care of, and I figured I'd bring you all along for it. I've seen how you can fight, but I wanna see what else you can do."

"Tora curious, what request for?" Tora raised a wing up, Poppi mimicking his motion.

"I'll tell ya in a minute. C'mon, let's get to the other gate out of town first."

Everyone got up to do just that. The rear gat Vandham led them too was on an elevated path that started heading further up in the caves. The thing with Titans like Uraya was that their entire internal system was where people resided, so it made for quite the ecosystem when you could shift from winding caves to sheer cliffs all at once. Uraya was practically famous for it, with it's capital city overlooking a massive one that was the largest open area within the Titan as well.

"Ah yeah, 'fore we go, figure I might as well do something. Ya' saw him when we fought, but why don't we introduce ourselves properly." Vandham stopped and gestured to his Blade, who nodded.

"I am Roc, Vandham's Blade. Pleasure to meet all of you." And in a surprisingly polite and proper way, Roc even gave a bow to the group.

"Same for us." Vaios responded.

"I noticed you use a rather unusual style of weapon." Pyra pointed out, earning a chuckle from the bird-like Blade.

"They're called Dual Scythes. Even around here I've never met anyone but Vandham who can use them properly. But, I feel rather impressed by how you and your Driver fight, Aegis. Not only do you pass your weapon between one another in the usual style, but you even fight together when you do. Normally Drivers only have Blades handle their weapons when using Blade Arts."

"I agree with Roc here. You three have quite the interesting method of fighting." Vanhdam added that in, Vaios chuckling while Haze and Pyra looked pleased with the compliment.

"Still, big man very amazing if he can use such interesting weapons like Roc say!" Tora also spoke up, Vandham laughing at the praise. Roc just sighed and shook his head.

"Don't praise him too much now or it'll go to his head." Roc added.

"Vandham only have one Blade then?" Poppi asked. "Odd to ask, since all but Vaios here also have one Blade!"

Tora also sunk low as Poppi said that, reminding him once more of his lack of proper Driver ability. But the Nopon wasn't kept down for long.

"I'd awaken another if we had a Core Crystal." Nia said, then sighing. "But not like we've had a chance to get our hands on any new ones as of late after all. I'd say you could also get yourself another Vaios, add to the variety yeah? I mean, you've got a sword and a staff, why not one more?"

"Oh, and what would you be looking for besides Dromarch's chakrams hmm?" Vaios asked, Nia crossing her arms.

"I dunno! I'd just take what I'd get I suppose. Though one of those fancy ball weapons I've seen about wouldn't hurt I suppose. Or maybe a mega lance?" As Nia mulled on it, Vanhdam giving another laugh.

"To answer the little gal's question, Roc is the only Blade I've got. I know most Drivers have a few to mix things up, Vaios definitely kept me on my toes with just two, but Roc's all I've ever needed in a fight."

"Big man really is amazing!" Tora repeated, though Nia seemed a lot less impressed.

"Sounds to me like you just can't be bothered to come up with more than one strategy, eh old man?" Nia said, Vandham laughing again rather than getting offended by the snide remark from the Gormotti.

"Well then, now that we're all better acquainted with one another, let's get down to business!" Yet it was rather clear to the group Vandham was clearly dodging the question entirely as he changed the subject. Perhaps his skillset was simply that direct. Vaios could certainly attest that Vandham was strong, so if he could make it work, not like there was much to go on about now was there?

"So what's the job?" Vaios said, moving things along himself.

"The request is to check out some kinda crazy energy effect up near the blowhole. Whaddya say, fancy being a mercenary for a day?" Vandham folded his arms and Vaios gave a hum. They certainly needed to be getting a move on to Fonsa Myma as soon as they could, but right now things weren't exactly urgent either. Sparing a bit of time to see how a genuine mercenary tackled a job didn't sound like a bad idea to him.

"Sure why not. As long as we get paid." Vaios said, Vandham again laughing.

"Of course ya' will kid! Now, let's be off for real!"

Vandham pushed open the gates and the led the group off on the path. The trail they followed led then right past a shining lake where animals were feeding or swimming through, and that led further onto a path that veered upwards, starting up one of the cliffs in a thankfully wide and solid natural pathway. At the top of that path was another open area, a typical looking field, and grazing at it were large animals called Arduns, mostly fur covered quadrupeds with some scales on them, and horns at their heads. They were common enough grazing mammals and were often used for livestock across Alrest.

"An Ardun, just what we needed." Vandham stopped the march with one particular Ardun in sight, then glancing at Vaios. "Vaios, how good are you with that anchor?"

"I mean I don't use it for much more than grappling, but I'm a pretty good shot." Vaios said, already seeing the intent as he pulled the anchor gun out, flipping it around and handing it to Vandham.

The man chuckled as he took the gun and took am with it, though due to his large hands he had to use the secondary fire button on it. When the anchor fired, Vandham yanked the gun up, causing the anchor to shoot back and wrap around the Ardun's leg, and with another pull, pulled the now caught leg right out from under the animal, causing it to tumble over to the side with a groaning keen.

"Whoa! Hehe, never thought of using it like that before for some reason." Vaios took the gun back as Vandham handed it back to him once the anchor pulled back, the now sufficiently annoyed Ardun turning to look at the party.

"The trick is to pull it taut at the right moment. Give it a shot for yerself."

"Alright."

Vaios waved the others off when they got ready for a fight. He wanted to keep this simple. They could just drive the Ardun off after he got it. When the animal went to charge, they all moved out of the way. Vaios's eyes turned sharply as he veered around when he stopped, aiming the anchor gun at one of the still moving legs. Quickly pulling the trigger, the anchor shot off and went past the leg. Noting the way the wire went slack for a moment, Vaios yanked the gun back while also grabbing the wire. He smirked when it wrapped around the Ardun's leg and went tight, and with another pull, the animal's stride was solidly broken and it crashed to the ground.

When it was released, Pyra sent some flames it's way, scaring the animal and causing it to run off, a coaxing roar from Dromarch veering it down the path they'd just come from. Once it was clear, Vaios holstered the anchor and gave a breath, lurching a bit when Vandham gave him a hearty slap to the back. The man had quite the degree of strength thanks to his large size after all.

"Well color me impressed. You got it after seeing it once." Vandham slapped Vaios's back again, the young man chuckling even as he winced a bit. "Keep it in mind Vaios, there's a lot more Arts you can use as a Driver than just the powers your Blades give ya. Plenty rely on your own strength to bring out their full potential, or that take advantage of things your enemies can do. I would say more to it then just that now, but from how ya fought me earlier I can tell you've got a good grasp on personal Arts of your own. Just remember, a Driver's job is to be smart with his Arts, and protect his Blades. And you've got a couple good ones with ya."

"I get that much. If I push too much I'll just exhaust them if I don't watch how much power I'm using. Azurda already taught me it doesn't do ya' any good to let energy go to waste in a fight. Make all of your moves precise and to the point, because a single wasted motion could spell defeat." Vaios said, Azurda popping up on his shoulder now.

"Good to know my lessons stuck true with you at least." Azurda commented, Vaios snickering as he put his hands behind his head.

"Hah! Just so ya' know, that thing from before took me five years to get right. Then you saw it once, and aced it like it was nothin'. That, and you got Nia and Tora in tow. You lot form a handy crew. You've all got a bright future."

"I think I'm gonna spew." Nia was not one for these kinds of situations, and just sighed to herself.

"Biggipon have a scary face, but he very nice." Tora noted, as he _was_ the type for situations like this.

"Bwahahaha! Sussed me out furrypon!" Vandham jovially returned the way of conveyance to the Nopon.

The party then continued on, the path leading them further and further up. As they got higher, natural light was starting to illuminate the space around them thanks to being near Uraya's blowhole, so rather than the muted blue most of the Titan's space was lit by, the natural colors were brought out more. When they reached where whatever they were looking for was at, they found laying there a small, but most certainly dead, Titan that likely washed in through the blowhole at some point.

"Could the weird energy effect be because of this?" Vaios said, cautious about approaching the Titan.

"Sure looks like it." Vandham said.

"I doubt old age was the cause either, judging by the looks of it." Azurda added. "Might've been a accident… on the other hand, it might have been attacked."

Well if that was the case than the likely culprit quickly made itself known. A massive Arachno came rumbling down the path, the beast along big enough to make Vandham look small… but perhaps the real oddity of the creature was that a _Blade_ was with it. Tall and monstrous looking, he was quick to move a hand out towards his commanding Driver.

"Looks like that Titan dying off stirred up something else!" Vandham drew his weapons first, everyone else following suit.

Being it was a beast, even with a Blade linked to it the Arachno wasn't what one could call a difficult foe to fight. Sure it's size made it dangerous but with four Drivers coming at it the thing didn't stand much of a chance even with it's Blade defending it. It was a combination of Arts from all of them at different directions, limbs being cut by the sharper weapons like Vaios's Aegis Bladed and Vandham's scythes, while it's tough armor was smashed in by Tora, a chance Nia quickly leapt in on.

It was down not long after, and when the Arachno collapsed, so too did the Blade with it. The Blade's body then glowed blue and faded, all that was left from it being a darkened Core Crystal on the ground, which Vaios picked up.

"So, even animals can bond with Blades huh? Interesting." Vaios noted, tossing the dim Crystal a bit. Tora looked outright offended at knowing some dumb giant insect had been able to become a proper Driver.

"Tora cannot resonate, but stinky monster can resonate. Not fair." Tora pouted, Poppi putting a hand to her Driver's head.

"But Masterpon have Poppi!"

"Oh Poppi!"

"Eesh." Nia chuckled as she shook her head at the two. Tora and Poppi certainly got along without issue.

"When a Blade loses their Driver, then end up like this." Vandham looked at the Crystal as Vaios rolled it over in his hands, giving a thoughtful hum of his own.

"It's not dead is it?" Vaios gave a sigh of relief when Vandham shook his head.

"Nah. The Crystal'll start glowing again given some time, and then a new Driver can resonate with it. But…" And that got Vaios to look at the man with a raised brow. "When it does come back out, it's memory will be totally zapped. It'll be reborn as a new Blade. Won't remember a thing."

"Well, that sounds familiar." Vaios murmured, Pyra giving him a sad look as he wistfully look at the dim Crystal again. Vaios also spared a look to Haze, because as Azurda had said, she'd previously been someone else's Blade. He couldn't but ponder, just what had she forgotten? What memories of her old Driver and their friends had been lost after she'd returned to her Core Crystal? "Having your past wiped out like that, and for Blades it'd be again and again… sounds even rougher than my case."

"But, sometimes those memories can be painful. Memories like that… can be a terrible burden." Pyra said. "And a Blade can live forever, as long as their Crystal exist. It's just as well, eternity is a long time to be collecting bad memories."

"Pyra…" Vaios then had it come to him as well. Pyra wasn't like normal Blades. She'd spent five hundred years in slumber, and even with her original Driver long dead, she hadn't reverted. Pyra didn't have the luxury of forgetting like other Blades did. He didn't doubt every memory from that time, both good and bad, lingered in Pyra's mind. But then what did that say about Vaios himself? He had memories apparently from that far back, potentially even _further_ if that memory about the man he called father had anything to say about it.

Just how long had _he_ been alive, how much was _he_ forgetting because of the state he was currently in? How many of those memories had been painful ones? If he did recover fully, would he regret it? Would there be too much pain for him to bear?

"But… would it really be that good to just be able to forget?" Vaios said, looking up to the clouds just visible through the hole above them. "Just because memories are painful… does that really mean it would just be better to forget them all? To be a blank slate and forget everything?"

"I-I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry." Pyra bowed her head, Vaios shaking his head in response.

"You don't need to feel sorry for anything. It's just a difference in viewpoints after all." Vaios said, putting a hand to Pyra's head in a comforting gesture. "At least I'm glad knowing you wouldn't forget me."

"Blegh, get a room you two!" Nia said, Vaios chuckling, Pyra looking away as her face went red as her hair.

"Tora find that quite romantic!" Tora threw a wing up, Poppi and Haze nodding along.

"Aight, c'mon then. Let's get finished up here." Vandham went over to the Titan as it's body began fading, picking up a few things the others couldn't see. When he came back over, he held one of them up, revealing it to be a shining, bright as a star Core Crystal.

"What the… where was that?!" Vaios yelped.

"Well that's where they come from after all. Titans incubate Core Crystals inside of themselves." Vandham said, rolling the Crystal, and several more were shining in his pouch. "This one's brand new and ready to resonate, like a good steak before the first bite. It'll probably end up buddying up with a bunch of Drivers in the years to come. Every time the Driver dies, it'll return to it's Crystal, and forget everything, and then resonate with a new Driver later. Drivers dyin', Titans dyin', but the Blades just live on through it all. A never ending cycle, an eternal history. As mortals, we'll never be able to understand."

"Something about that doesn't… sound right though." Vaios put a hand to his head as he started feeling that telltale headache come on again. This time it was just a flash, fuzzy again, but he had the image of some kind of mural in his mind now. He couldn't make out anything about it, yet he felt something monumentally important about that… like it held an answer that would finally make a question clear.

Pyra walked over to the Titan as it finally faded completely, Vaios humming again as he looked at her. Again the thought of how different she was crossed his mind. Her existence was unique among Blades… or perhaps it was better to say it was an anomaly among the cycle. Whatever the Aegis was, Vaios definitely had questions about the nature of it.

"Well, now that it's done, here." Vandham then took a couple of the bright Crystals outl, tossing them to Vaios and Nia. "Payment for helpin' out with this. Keep the dim one too. Whether you resonate with that Blade or not, at least make sure it ends up in the hands of a good Driver yeah? And maybe resonate with those shiny new ones when we're back eh? I'd be interested to see what ya' two get!"

"Well I will certainly be sure to do that." Nia said, pocketing the Crystal into her own pack, and Vaios placed both now in his possession deep into his own pouch for later.

* * *

And back at Garfront, the Driver bunch was down at the training area. Poppi and Tora were practicing with one another while Nia was brushing out Dromarchs fur. Haze, Pyra and Vaios were helping each other take care of some small injuries they'd gotten along the way no thanks to some… overly aggressive animals, yet it was only the later two who were _actually_ hurt in some way. And Vandham was watching the pair with keen, and curious, eyes, downright mystified about the sight.

"Ow!"

"Well don't flinch like that and it won't hurt when I press down."

"It's a natural reaction."

Vaios retaliated by taking his own swab and pressing it to Pyra's own scratch, causing her to yelp.

"See you're not any better!"

"That was just petty!"

"Whaddya mean, I was just putting the salve on."

As the two kept messing around like that, Vandham finally stood up and walked over. He looked the two over, noting it down. Their injuries were exactly the same, a cut on the cheek, one on the hand, another on the upper arm. Same location, same depth. It was like the two had somehow mirrored one another.

"What is this?" Vandham murmured. "I've never seen a Blade get so many wounds before, much less ones that don't heal up right quick… not to mention, they're the same as Vaios's."

"Well… there's a reason for that." Vaios said, Vandham raising a brow. He went on to explain a bit more about recent events, particularly about how he and Pyra were sharing their life force, even showing the portion of her Crystal that was now attached to him as proof of it. Vandham and the other Drivers of the band who'd come over awed at the tale, and the sight Vaios showed them. "… and that's about the gist of it. Honestly it's probably unique even for a Blade. Pyra is the Aegis after all, I really have no idea what all she's completely capable of right now."

"That's incredible. And while I've never heard of something like that happening before, I definitely wouldn't put it out of the Aegis's abilities." Vandham said, folding his arms, then looking at Haze. "Must be a bit more work for ya', eh?"

"Oh it's nothing at all." Haze said, raising a hand. "I'm just glad I'm able to help like I can."

"Heh, and here I thought that pretty x was just an accessory like that fancy medallion o' yours." Vandham added, Vaios putting his fingers to said medallion as it was brought up. "Blades are supposed to heal up right away no matter the wound. If the Crystal's in one piece and the Driver's alive, nothin' can touch 'em. So why's she all bashed up?"

"Honestly, I don't know _why_ it's that way, but that's just how it ended up. It is what it is." Vaios replied, a hand on his hip.

"What it _is,_ is a problem. It means if one of you kicks the bucket, you both do." Vandham's statement made Vaios flinch, and his loose hand tightened up, then his hand relaxed.

"But you also told me a good Driver protects his Blade. And we fight side by side as it is. We're both making sure that doesn't happen." Vaios stated, a firm tone in his voice. "Protecting Pyra is the least I can do. She saved my life, made sure I wouldn't die when I was on the verge of death. If I didn't try and pay that back, I wouldn't be worth a lick of salt. So I've gotta keep that promise, at least until we get to Elysium. I won't die so easily before that happens."

"Vaios, you mean…"

"Going to Elysium? Oh no, I can't allow that." The interruption brought the eyes of everyone over. Akhos and Obrona had appeared, the Driver pushing his glasses up as he continued down the path and closer to the lot. "It won't do. A bunch of amateurs, stealing the show? The script exists for a reason!"

"Who the hell are you?" Vaios immediately switched gears because his danger sense was going all kidns of wild, standing up and getting in front of Pyra… but he had a gut feeling Akhos already knew who she was.

"Akhos!" Nia said, Vaios glancing from her and then back.

"So you're one those Torna guys?" Vaios asked, already pulling out the Aegis Blade and igniting it.

"Please speak only when you're spoken too, traitor." Akhos said, adjusting his glasses again.

"Traitor traitor traitor!~" Obrona jumped around as she spoke in singsong, and Vaios was _immediately_ annoyed by her grating as all belief voice. "Nia, you're one of the baddies now, a villain!"

"And whoever said you lot were the good guys?" Vaios spat, aiming his blade at Akhos. "Last I checked it was Torna who decided to hire an entire salvaging crew and then kill them all once you were done with them!"

"Can you please stop interrupting? You're taking things off script." Akhos said, Vaios growling at him.

"Look, I didn't betray anybody! And Vaios is right! That bloody event is why I'm even here! You lot of psychos are the actual villains!" Nia snapped back, also grabbing her chakrams. Akhos just scoffed at her.

"Really now? If you didn't betray anyone, then why do you stand with them instead of us? Do you feel this is where you belong?" Akhos posed, Nia just growling at him herself.

"You said Torna, right Vaios?" Vandham said, Vaios nodding. Now the man seemed outright livid. "Well, that puts a lot into perspective! But that's a helluva a name they chose to use! Talk about stampin' on history!"

"Akhos, just tell us what you're here for!" Nia said, stamping a foot down.

"Well, the Aegis, of course."

"Not surprised at all." Vaios dryly spoke, Akhos giving him a small glare.

"I just had to come and see the leading lady with my own eyes."

"Jin put you up tot his?" Nia said, Akhos chuckling, his hands going to the swords at his hips.

"Well deduced. And, oh, by the way. His orders were to deal with you in whatever manner I see fit. So, you know what that means."

"He wouldn't… you're lying!" Nia about lunged, but Vaios put an arm in front of her. This wasn't a situation where they could let themselves run too hot in.

"Why the surprise, do you think he would still care about you?" Akhos said, then looking at Vaios. "And you must be the Aegis Driver. Jin spoke surprisingly highly of you! He wants you dealt with as soon as possible, said that you could become a far bigger threat in the future if we just leave you to your own devices. Do you and he know one another? Jin spoke as if he knew you quite well."

"I suppose we do, can't say much about it myself, other than that he stabbed me in the damn back."

"And yet you stand here now, seemingly without a scratch. You see, Jin said you were dangerous even without a Blade, and that being the Aegis Driver would only make you more dangerous. I personally was surprised by that, but for some reason I cannot help but doubt the veracity of it. You don't seem all that powerful to me." Akhos chuckled as he drew the slender blades at his hips out of their holders, the blue glow of the edges lighting up as he spun one. "So, I hope you don't mind if I test that theory!"

"Fine by me, I was waiting for you to shut up and actually fight!" Vaios was about to move, and Vandham put a hand to his shoulder. "Vandham?"

"You ain't fightin this guy alone. I know the name Torna from more than just history. These guys have taken the lives of too many Drivers. That includes some of my crew, good people." Vaios's eyes widened as he realized Vandham had a personal stake in this just as much as they did, and Akhos's wicked smirk only made the glower on Vandham's face worsen. "Rumor has it it's because they're collecting Core Crystals… so if this Akhos is one of them… Yew! Zuo! Get everyone out of the village!"

"Yes, sir!"

As the two other Drivers took off, everyone who _hadn't_ taken their weapons to the ready did so, and Akhos chuckled as he spun a sword again.

"Be careful with him." Nia said. "His Blade, Obrona, she can mess with the ether in the air."

"Well, I've got a Blade who can do that too." Vaios said, his eyes glancing to Haze, who nodded.

"I'll be ready when you are, just give the order!" Haze said. If such was the case then it meant this coming fight would be a test to see who'd pull that kind of skill out first. The question was how it worked. Vaios knew Haze's skill could lock down a Blade, but he didn't know how Obrona's own manipulation did… all he had to do was get it done first though.

"Right!"

"Sounds like a decent opponent for the change! Let's go!" Vandham called out, Vaios nodding with an enthusiastic smirk of his own.

"Finally! There won't be any more interruptions will there?" Akhos hummed as he took a stance of his own. "Good, time for you extras to get off the stage!"

The first to clash in the fight were Akhos and Vaios themselves. Blade to blade, Vaios was able to match the shorter and faster swords with his own footwork and minimal blade movements, plus the fact aside from the main portion, his blade was functionally weightless meant he could move it far easier than it would otherwise allow for him. But the repeated blade clashes between Akhos and Vaios were interrupted when Vandham shot in, Akhos blocking with a single blade and being pushed away from Vaios.

Vandham's swings were rougher by comparison but still fine in their own right, and packed enough of a punch Akhos was a bit more on the defensive since he didn't have the edge in size here, and Vandham's reach was practically identical to his own. That and Vandham was clearly masterful with his weapon Arts, the wind swirling around his scythes giving him some extra reach to his attacks, and he knew clearly well how to twirl them around to hook Akhos's blade and parry a strike just as quickly. Then Obrona's wings opened up, flecks of red light beginning to fill the air. Vandham saw his weapons dim a bit, but he wasn't deterred as he kept up the attacks.

To break away, Akhos tossed his swords to Obrona, who let loose a series of lightning blasts that chased after the opposing Drivers. Some of them hit, and in quick response, Nia raised his charkams on one arm, and Haze tossed Vaios her staff. Both called out, and dual pulses of water and wind went out across the party, easing the pains they felt from the Blade Art and coming with a slight boost to stamina.

Tora and Poppi charged in to get to Akhos after the healing, and Dromarch went for Obrona after the Blade tossed her weapons back, his claws barely missing the flying Blade, who used that to get away from the feline Blade quickly. Akhos dodged the swipes of Tora's shield, and raised his weapons as Obrona sent Ether his way, but to his surprise the shield didn't hold as Tora struck it, and out of the corner of his eye, Akhos saw Haze holding her staff in both hands, a slight ringing in the air as wind pulsed around.

"So… they have a Blade who can play with Ether too huh? We can play that too! Obrona!" As Akhos called out, Obrona cackled herself, and the glow in the air shifted from red to blue. The Blades all lurched a bit, and their Drivers could feel a cutoff in the power being sent to them as well. Whatever Akhos had done, it had messed with the link between the Drivers and Blades. Undeterred, Vaios pulled out his anchor gun and aimed at Obrona. Once he had the shot lined up, he fired, and smirked when he successfully hooked the Blade. When the line was tight, Vaios grabbed it with both hands and yelled as he pulled, Obrona screaming as she was pulled in an arc and slammed into the ground hard enough to leave a crater.

The flecks in the air vanished as Obrona twitched a bit, Akhos growling as the Blades were able to get back to full now that the connections weren't being messed with. Vaios reignited the Aegis Blade and rushed back into the fray, and after a brief clash, tossed the blade to Pyra and pulled out his own longsword, Akhos growling as now _both_ were bearing down on him, a move that clearly caught him off guard, but also visible excited him at the same time as he was forced to double task, even throwing one sword to Obrona as she flew back over, creating a double blade lock between the engaged fighters.

Vaios actually smirked once they were locked. He moved one hand and grabbed the Aegis Blade, a golden glow edging across him and Pyra. With twin yells, the fiery blade grew as they swiped it along, nailing Obrona and Akhos. The latter reclaimed his second sword as he flipped back in the air, laughing as he skid to a stop while Vaios taking the Aegis Blade back himself, Pyra moving back to the support position.

"Such an honor… to share the stage with the legendary Aegis!" Akhos jumped back in, slamming his blades down on Vaios's, who caught them in the notches of his sword's lower spine, locking both down in place. "I will admit I underestimated you, Aegis Driver! You actually know what it is your doing with that Blade!"

"I'll take that one without issue!" Vaios wrenched the blades up and slashed at Akhos, who narrowly dodged, a singe mark appearing across his chest plate. But then, suddenly Vaios closed the gap faster, Akhos gasping as the next strike from Vaios's blade came down harder _and_ faster, the flurry of slashes pushing Akhos back, and there seemed to be a vague glow around Vaios's body, blue in color, and his eyes had brightened in shade as well. "Haze now!"

"Roger!" Haze lifted her staff again, that ringing going through the air, and Obrona yelled as her flight was shut down and sent her to the ground again. Akhos gasped as his swords dimmed in light.

"She doesn't just disrupt ether flow, but she can cut if off entirely too?!" Akhos barely had time to process that before he was forced to block Vaios's hard strike again, being pushed across the ground by the force of the rushing strikes, Vaios breaking Akhos's guard and landing a clean slash across Akhos's chest. "AHHH!"

"How's one more for ya?!" Not to be left out, Vandham followed up on that flaming strike by flinging blasts of wind at Akhos, blowing him and Obrona back across the ground. Clearly frustrated as he stood back up with one nasty burn mark gouged in his armor, Akhos reset his glasses as Obrona struggled up.

"This is… not to the script at all." Akhos growled as he started backing away. "Obrona, we're retreating for now! Some redrafts are in order!"

"Got it!" Obrona dashed back despite the straing, pulling Akhos along with her, and before they could be pursued, they'd already left the range of Haze's jamming and then flitted away higher than they could get.

"Yeah run away ya' damn coward!" Vaios shouted as he shook a fist, giving a deep breath, and the glow around him died down as he also deactivated the Aegis Blade. "Everyone alright?"

"Near perfectly fine yeah. Talk about timing. You did a hell of a number on Akhos just now too." Nia said, Vaios giving a nervous noise as he placed his blade back to his belt.

"Vai-Vai did something real cool! What was with glowy effect? Not Blade aura!" Tora said, Vaios raising a brow.

"Tora what are you talking about?"

"Mehmeh?! Vai-Vai not aware of what he did?!"

"Uh… no."

"Well whatever it was, at least that guy's gone now." Vandham stored his weapons, and chuckled as he looked to Haze. "And here I thought the Aegis was the biggest surprise I'd see. Where'd you find a Blade like here eh? Never seen one that can shut down a Blade like that! It's one hell of a trump card, that's for sure."

"Yeah but it's also why I feel we can't use it much." Vaios added, Haze nodding in agreement. "If enough people know about it, then it won't be too effective. And that guy's Blade can mess with ether too. If we fight again I doubt he'll let us pull that off on him for a second time."

"That's the problem with abilities like mine I suppose." Haze tilted her head and sighed. "Use it, and then your enemy can try to counter it."

"Well that's also why we fight in groups too." Pyra said. "So that we can make sure things don't, well, get too predictable."

"Which is exactly why having more Blades is a good thing." Nia said, looking at Vandham.

"However you believe it to be. Either way." Vandham dodged the issue, again. "For now though, how about you all rest up? I doubt that idiot'll be coming back here any time soon either. I'll go out and get everyone back here, and then we can all have ourselves a nice big dinner, how's about that!"

"Rest right now sounds about right." Azurda commented, the others giving affrimatives and going to head off, but as he was leaving, Vandham stopped Vaios.

"Hm?"

"Could ya wait a minute? I wanna talk about somethin'." Vaios nodded, and Vandham brought him to look over the village elsewhere, Vaios wondering just what the change of scenery was for, but not questioning it. "You know, now that I've seen it against a foe you were actually trying to fight for real, you've got some impressive power kid, you know that?"

"So I've apparently been able to show." Vaios noted, giving a sigh. "Almost makes a person scared to use it when people keep saying things like that. Least of all when apparently you're seen as a huge threat by some big shot terrorist group."

"Heh. Perhaps. So, you know what the difference is between me, and guys like Akhos?"

"This is one of those "there isn't much of one" type things is it?"

"Hahahaha! You've certainly got a good head on your shoulders Vaios, that's for sure." And yet again Vandham gave Vaios a hearty slap to the back, and again Vaios lurched forward from the force of it. "Yeah, there ain't much of one. My crew here think we're fighting for justice, but ain't no such thing as a just fight. War is war from whatever angle you look at it. Justice is just what people try and use to justify their actions when they go to war, just an excuse to fight. The more you stand up for yourself, the more people wanna fight ya. Before you know it, you're in a war. All I'm saying is, we got our fight, and he's got his."

"So I guess it's safe to assume even if we can both agree what he, and by extension Torna, are doing is bad, that ultimately doesn't matter." Vaios sat down and sighed, ruffling his hair a bit. "Morality is one troubling thing. People wanna make things easy, see all of it in black and white. I won't even say it's all shades of grey… the world is so many colors, it's impossible to say which ones are really right and wrong."

"Not a bad take on things." Vandham said, nodding. "I see it myself as a use of power. It takes on a lot of forms, and all based on the heart of it's wielder. If we don't use our power just 'cos we're scared of it, then we're done for. As for who's right and who's wrong, like you said, it's impossible to tell. Who knows for sure what those words truly even mean? So all we can do, is protect what's important."

"Well, I definitely get that." Vaios said, looking at his pendant. "I can't help but feel like in a way, I failed in that regard before… and now, I don't want to let that happen again. If everyone has their own war to fight, then I think I know what mine is now… so long as people keep getting in my way to Elysium, I'm going to have to fight them… I can hope for an understanding all I want, but there's definitely going to be people I won't be able to get through to in any way."

"I'm glad you've got that mindset." Vaios was not worried he'd actually really get injured by Vandham's back slaps. "Alright now, I've gotta go get me crew. Take a nap or somethin', cause I promise ya tonight's gonna be a big one!"

"Thanks for the advice!" Vaios laughed as he called out toe Vandham while the man marched off, giving a chuckle as a smile came to his face. "Y'know he kinda feels like a rowdy uncle when it comes to character. I like it."

* * *

And big it definitely was. The entire village was out this time to go with the merry mood brought on by Vandham's successful news. And it was certainly a loud one. But the merry air at least helped ease any woes, and who could argue against a night of tons of good food?

"Well, I'll give it to these fellas, they certainly know how to throw on a party!" Nia laughed from around her own spread of plenty of food, Pyra, Haze, and Poppi nodding along to her. And then Nia got an idea as she caught Pyra glancing off to Vaios, who was chatting with Tora, probably about various engineering things from how ecstatic they seemed about it. "So, Pyra, you and Vaios get somewhere?"

"Pffffftt!" Pyra was clearly surprised by that, her sudden splurt going to gagging a bit. And that kind of reaction plus a red face got the other girls aweing a bit. That meant _something!_ "W-We didn't do much at all! Nia what are you even getting at?"

"What just curious is all. You two go off into your own little world sometimes, so I got curious." Nia was smirking now, Pyra's blush getting a bit worse. "How far _did_ you go then?"

"Not far at all! Can we not talk about this?" Pyra whined, and then she saw how Haze had this… quite flowery air around her. "Haze?"

"Ah, sorry! I just got lost in thought a bit." Haze put both her hands to her face and chuckled a bit, Nia shaking her head as she shrugged, Poppi looked confused.

"Vaios has it in for him, that's for sure." Nia commented.

"Poppi unsure of what everyone talking of."

"Adult conversation Poppi." Nia said, playfully waving a hand, then her look went a bit more somber, and she gave a deep hum. "I definitely should…"

"Hm? What's up Nia?" Pyra said, Nia leaning on a hand.

"Well I… I feel like talk to Vandham." Nia sighed deeply, her look a bit troubled. "It's just… he's kind of, you know."

"Well, why not have Vaios go with you? He and Vandham certainly get along pretty well." Pyra suggested, Nia giving a hum and nodding. Pyra certainly wasn't wrong that the two got along with relative ease… so maybe it was a good idea to do that.

"Alright sure… but tomorrow." Nia said, nods going all around, Nia then back to her food. "Now, time to chow down!"

* * *

"Ahhh, well I certainly feel a lot better after a good rest." Vaios rolled his arm as he, Tora, and Dromarch exited the room they'd crashed in for the night after the big feast, Tora hopping ahead with a laugh.

"Despite big battle, much fun had! But Tora still think Vai-Vai did best during fight." Tora said, Vaios chuckling and high fiving the Nopon. "So, where to now? We continue to Fonsa Myma?"

"That would probably be best." Dromarch said, the three stopping in the foyer. "Now that we know Torna can find us, remaining here would assuredly put the non-combatants in danger. Though it would be rude if we just left without word."

"Of course it'd be." Vaios put his arms behind his head and sighed. Dromarch definitely had a point. Who's to say Akhos wouldn't come back, and next time with more with him? He knew that they had Haze and her ability to shut down Blades, so of course that strategy wouldn't work twice, so if Akhos had reinforcements the fight would definitely be more of a challenge to the party.

"Good morning everyone!" Pyra gave a greeting as the girls then came on out, Vaios nodding. "Were you all discussing something?"

"Just what we should do next." Azurda said, on top of Vaios's head, to the latter's clear annoyance. "We were thinking it would be best we get moving on our way to Fonsa Myma today. After saying our farewells to Vandham and his crew, of course. We wouldn't want things to become worse for them."

"About that, actually." Nia said, glancing at Pyra, who nodded to her. "Vaios I… uhm… could ya' help me with something?"

"What is it? I'm glad to help with whatever it is." Vaios said, and Nia seemed to relax. A bit. Not much. Just a bit.

I want to talk to Vandham. I need to tell him about… about my past with Akhos and that lot." That was certainly an understandable thing. It was clear now Vandham had it out for Torna due to his own personal reasons. Even if Vaios knew Vandham saw things as they were, it's not like that would simply dissuade that personal vendetta. Torna had killed people Vandham looked after and worked with, of course he'd have it out for them.

"Not a problem. Though why do you want me to go with you?"

"Well it's just… Vandham kind of scares me a bit."

"What? Why? I mean sure he's big, has a mean face, is definitely scary when he's-never mind I get it." Vaios got a chuckle out of the others at his sudden about face as he spoke. "He's probably going to be at the training grounds, let's go."

And the air in Garfront was certainly about as merry as it was last night. You could almost think they hadn't just been attacked the other day and had to run for a bit because of the fight that had broken out, but the routine these people no doubt had resumed without any issue at all. Perhaps it was _because_ they were a mercenary crew, so dealing with situations like that wouldn't be that troublesome to get themselves through at all.

And as Vaios had guessed, Vandham was at the training grounds with Roc, watching the children train at the practice dummies with various fake weapons. The man turned as he saw the party approach, giving a loud laugh.

"Hey there you lot! What's got all of you up so bright and early?"

"Nia?" Vaios turned to Nia, who took a moment and then stepped forward, clearing her throat. Vandham folded his arms, catching onto the general mood of things quickly.

"Thanks for yesterday. You saved our skins, helping in that fight." Nia said, letting out a grumble. She had no idea how Vandham even felt about her former relation to Torna, so obviously she was a bit uneasy. "That guy, Akhos, I mean… I wanted to tell you about him, you see… thing is, we used to be…"

"Being a mercenary, you meet all kindsa different folks." Vandham spoke up, and not a lick of potential malice was in his voice, letting off that he wasn't bothered in the slightest, though Nia gave a confused sound at his interruption. "Your country, family, money… People got plenty of reasons to fight. Light fightin' for a special girl. I see that a lot. Though not every girl has a strange crystal in her chest eh?"

"Please don't use me as the example." Vaios deadpanned, Vandham laughing at the obstinate snipe. If anything the fact Vaios didn't deny a word of that was the main reason Vandham found it funny.

"Nia, you're with these guys right now. That's what matters." But he also quickly dropped back to his serious tone, Nia giving a small gasp.

"But… aren't you…"

"Anyway, Vaios, you said you're aiming to go to Elysium?" Vandham diverted matters. Nia went silent, seeing his point had been made. He was right about that though. As far as they could be concerned, the fact Nia was with the current group mattered more than her old connection with Torna.

"That was the plan, though we did hit a snag." Vaios said, putting a hand to his chin. "For one the ship we had got wrecked, and there's no way we can think of right now to get past the Abyss and to the World Tree itself. And then there's the… monster, that's around the Tree we just found out about as well. We were planning to keep heading on to Fonsa Myma so we could at least get to Argentum first, and then try and make a plan there. Though I doubt the Guild has a ship that can get past a thing like that."

"Well if you're headed to Fonsa Myma, I've got an old mate there. I got a feeling he might know a way through." That response got Vaios to gasp, and even without words it was clear he wanted more details just from the glimmer in his eyes. "Besides, I've gotta go there anyhow, so I might as well introduce you two along the way."

"Thanks! What's this guy's name?"

"Cole. He's a playwright who knows a lot about the Aegis War. Figure if anyone knows about the Abyss and whatever monster is in it, he would, at least I hope so. And don't thank me, it's destiny or something. Get your stuff together, and meet me by the village entrance! Also, I'd suggest awakening those Core Crystals I have ya. More Blades in the party means more people to help fight. Fonsa Myma is a long way from here, so be prepared as you can."

"Oh so _now_ you think having multiple Blades is a good idea." Nia said, a snide grin on her face.

"Ah shut it. I'll meet ya there." Vandham and Roc left with that, leaving the party there in that space. Nia and Vaios pulled out those shining Crystals, both humming.

"I think I'll save this for a bit latter." Vaios said, pocketing the Crystal once more.

"Well I'm certainly waking this little one up." Nia said, holding out her arm and gripping the Crystal tight. The others immediately moved to give some space for it as Nia shut her eyes, the glow beginning to radiate through the air as the Crystal left her hands and began pulsing.

Flecks of ice began to shine in the air as the light burst out. The Blade that was revealed was… small. A little girl with pale blue hair and eyes and pale as snow, garbed in flowing white, blue accented clothes… and a _bear_ of all things with her, the creature tall and with long limbs ending in large claws.

"U-Uh, hello there!" The small Blade was clearly suddenly nervous all of a sudden, giving a small bow. "My name is Ursula, and this is Beary! N-Nice to meet you!"

"Ohhh! Nia got quite cute Blade!" Tora commented, Nia humming.

"Well, not bad. She doesn't seem that weak. Hello there Ursula, I'm Nia, your new Driver." Nia stepped forward and held a hand out to Ursula, the shy Blade taking the hand and shaking it. "Sorry to drop it on you so suddenly after waking up now, but we're going to be heading on out somewhere. I'll tell you about it while we get ready, sound good? Dromarch?"

"It would be my pleasure to assist in that. I am Dromarch, milady's other blade, a pleasure to meet you, Ursula." Dromarch gave a bow of his own, and the warm personality of the gentlemanly cat Blade visibly relaxed Ursula as well.

"Welcome to the party." And Pyra then set off the introductions among the whole group to their new member. Sure the coming journey did have that air of dread over it now, especially with Vaios still being wary of what could happen, but if they could keep these kinds of things up, it would definitely make things at least easier. Cause what was better than a happy go luck group of odd balls?

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Yeah this took me way too long to get back to but let it never be said I can't deliver when I plan to. I was just doing other things and this wound up falling to the wayside. Either way! Things are nicely ramping up… and oh boy am I equal parts ready and not ready at all for it.**


	8. Chapter 8

A Turn of Fate

 **Chapter 8: On the Path Ahead**

Elsewhere in the Cloud Sea, at the same time as the party taking their leave of Garfront, another incident was occurring.

An Ardanian transport ship, en route to Indol with a large shipment of Core Crystals wasn't quite going to reach it's destination. The crew was in a panic, running all over. Soldiers took arms even as their comrades fell all around them, and all because of one man, Jin. The common soldiers all went down with ease, his sword flashing through the air faster than any of them could track it as he strode forward without a hint of slowing down.

Not even a full group of Drivers made him slow his pace. One charged, and Jin's blade flashed one time only, the man dropping to the ground. Jin's next step came so quickly he seemed to vanish, flashes in the air past each of the Drivers, and when Jin reappeared, all of them dropped. And with barely time to process the result, all of the Blades reverted to dim Core Crystals.

The last thing to be cut down was the door before him, Jin striding past and into the room filled with contained Core Crystals, the masked man looking them over with a cold gaze.

"I almost can't help but wonder… Vaios, when you learn the truth of what's going on with this world, what will _your_ thoughts be?"

That Titan ship was soon to sink into the Clouds, and as for it's shipment, it would never see it's destination. Such is the flow of the world.

* * *

The path to Fonsa Myma from Garfront was the opposite way of the other exit the party had taken. It brought them back out and past the path they had taken to get to the village at first, and into another cave that brought them to a new part of the Titan. Unlike the relatively drab caves near the heights of Uraya, the way that opened up to the party led to a lush, verdant cliffside that overlooked the vaster region of Uraya's center.

"Welcome to the Cobalt Cliffs, one of the best views in all Alrest!" Vandham stopped the party as they looked out at the expanse before them, the glimmering blue of the massive lake below the cliffs stretching out as far as one could see, and perhaps even more luckily was the current presence of Uraya's own "weather", falling flecks of visible ether that filled the air with falling shimmers of blue.

"Damn I wish I had a camera." Vaios said, giving a whistle as he put a hand over his eyes, then giving a rueful hiss. "Though I doubt a black and white picture would look as good as what's right in front of us."

"True shame that technology not so good for now!" Tora commented, Vaios nodding as he folded his arms. "On other hand, Tora quite proud of visualization ability of Poppi! It top of line, not even Mor Ardain can replicate!"

"I'm sure there's a lot about Poppi people can't replicate Tora." Nia commented, the Nopon not losing his proud air, of anything only looking smugger.

"Hahaha! Looks like all that chatter about the Aegis was true!" However, a sudden new voice drew away from the moment of casual banter, every member of the group looking around for the source of the speaker.

"Oh what now?! We left Garfront ten minutes ago, at least give us some time!" Vaios sighed as he looked around, his eyes turning forward as someone walked out from behind some walks, Vaios lowering the arm near his face as the individual entered his field of view. It would have probably been menacing with the new pair that arrived… menacing, if not for their odd poses and rather out of place hoods in a place like Uraya. "Really?"

The man was tall and muscular, in clothes that had surely seen better days and with so many belts slapped over them to where they also seemed to be taking the place of any kind of shirt beneath his tattered coat, and the large sword on his back, with it's Ether glow immediately said he was a Driver. The other part of this odd pair was a short woman, dressed equally extravagantly but also with some kind of tail tipped in a light bulb… such an oddity made it obvious she had to be a Blade… what was about _as_ odd was also the fact the two were in the exact some pose as one another.

"That's quite a burden there pal, you sure you're up to it?" The man said, Vaios taking a leaning stance as the man and Blade nodded to one another. "See sense, step aside, and let the big boys take charge." And the posing that followed this did nothing to make Vaios take that statement seriously… at all. Arms out, rapidly moving, and clenching his fist after pointing. "Come on, yield the merchandise!"

"You have gotta be kidding me…" Vaios was pinching his nose as the other party members looked equally perplexed by the display in front of them. Vaios groaned as his foot tapped, lowering his hand and folding his arms. "So what, you're another couple of schmucks after the Aegis for some Architect damned reason or another? Again, hasn't even been an hour since we left and already we're… ffffuuuu… Vandham do you have any idea who this guy is?"

"Never seen 'im before in my life." Vandham said, Vaios nodding.

"Bah!" The man scoffed, and with a dramatic throw of their arms, he and the Blade threw their hoods aside and revealed… faces nobody in the party knew at all, so the gasps everyone but Vaios did were more an impulsive reaction than anything genuine. And if anything their post reaction was wanting to take those gasps back at also realizing the "reveal" changed absolutely nothing.

"We still don't know who you two are!" Vaios shouted in return to the pointless action, though at least it did make the two's faces clearer to see. The man had a mess of dark grey hair, chiseled features… and for some reason an eyepatch over his left eye, with no sign of actually needing one present. The Blade woman had dark green hair and large glasses that for some reason hid her eyes, and her hair topped by a small light bulb hat… that was glowing. Again, for some reason.

"Ugh…" And again the man and Blade took the same poses at the same time as he balked in disbelief at that reaction. "You really are a bunch of rinky-dink, bogus, two-bit, no-mark Drivers, aren't you?"

"Well apparently you aren't that well known either." Vaios replied, and the man lurched like he'd just been shot by an arrow clean into the chest. "Also why the hell is your Blade synched up with your posing?"

"Well, that stung, surprisingly."

"Or sure just brush my question off, totally cool."

"Behold, the mighty Zeke! Von! Genbu! Bringer of Chaos!" As the man loudly declared who he was, he kept jabbing at himself with a thumb as he also walked forward… and again his Blade was mimicking all of his motions. "Mostly known as Zeke. And often addressed as… THE ZEKENATOR! Behold my Blade! Pandoria!"

"Still have no idea who you are!"

"And this is my sword, the Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher!"

"The hell kinda name is that?!"

"If you want a taste, come and get it!"

"What the hell is this introduction?!"

"Will you stop interjecting when I'm in the middle of my lines?!" Zeke stamped his foot as he finally got fed up of Vaios's mid line jabs, the young man only raising a brow in return as Zeke grumbled. "You just _totally_ ruined the mood I was aiming for! It was supposed to be intimidating, dramatic, grand! A build up to a grand test against the Aegis itself!"

"Yeah well acting like a stage actor sure as _hell_ didn't sell it!" Vaios said, then just giving a long sigh and shaking his head. "We also don't have the time. We're good. Seeya."

"What?! Good?! No!" As the party began to move past, Zeke, shocked at the sheer audacity that was undercutting his display-though really just about anyone would do so-led to him shaking his head, and them him and Pandoria zipping around and ahead of the party. "Wait you barbarians!"

"This guy… I'm tired of him already." Nia said, Ursula peeking out from behind Dromarch. "Dromarch, Ursula, just hang back."

"Gah, you think you lowlifes can lick the three of us?!"

"Three?" Vaios said, looking back and forth between Zeke and Pandoria. "You got some third Blade stashed up your coat or something?"

"Maybe it's up his arse." Nia said, Vaios covering his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Maybe some kind of pet?" Haze suggested. And it also seemed about now, Zeke and Pandoria looking at each other, and seeming to non-verbally talk like they got this was misunderstanding… somehow.

"Huh? Oh, get a load of this… Behold, our beloved mascot! Turters, reveal yourself!" Zeke started rummaging around in his cloak, still acting dramatically… only to realize whatever this Turters he was rummaging for wasn't present. "Huh?! Turters? Turters! Where are you boy?! Turrterrrss!"

"Can we move on please?" Vaios muttered, covering his eyes with a hand, Haze giving him a sympathetic pat on the arm.

"Oh!" Pyra had seemed to find something though, the girl looking down at her feet and seeing a small turtle shuffling around. She reached down and gently picked the small creature up, it's tail shuffling around as she lifted it. "Hello little guy, how're you? What are you doing out here all alone?"

"Ah-ah-ah Turters!" Zeke shot up from his looking around, dashing over to the group surprisingly quickly despite doing some kind of weird waddle walk, then nabbing the turtle from Pyra with a quick move. "Handling a man's turtle!"

Vaios on his part wound up moving in front of Pyra a bit as he glared off at Zeke and Pandoria now fawning over their pet.

"If he was after Pyra couldn't he have just grabbed her? He moved pretty damn fast too." Vaios couldn't help but take in the situation from that point of view, even if he _really_ just wanted to get moving again already.

"Ugh, what an idiot." Nia grumbled, and the others nodded, inclined to agree with her.

"Gah, listen, whatever!" Zeke pocketed Turters and then pointed at the group, again in an overdramatic manner. "She'll be mine soon enough! Got a problem with that?! Then come at me! And don't hold ba-"

Before Zeke could even finish the statement, Vaios had suddenly appeared in front of him, Aegis Blade drawn and ready to slash.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Vaios slammed his sword down with all the force he could throw into the strike, Zeke blocking with his larger blade, being sent skidding back as Vaios followed through. He stood straight, putting a hand behind his neck as he popped it a bit, and Nia was staring at Vaios in surprise.

"Vaios, ya' can't be serious right now." Nia just put her hands on her hips, and Vaios rolled his free arm as Zeke got done reorienting himself.

"This guy is clearly itching for a fight. Let's keep it one-to-one, yeah? It'll go faster that way."

"Well aside from the surprise of that, it seems you're a right ol' chap! Alright then, have at thee!"

"Save the theatrics!"

Vaios adjusted his stance as Zeke took the first move in return. Opposed to the fact the Aegis Blade took most of it's length from the flaming edge, Zeke's sword was solid throughout all but it's edges as with any Blade weapon. Despite the man's grandiose behavior Vaios saw there was clearly skill behind the man's blows as their weapons repeatedly clashed into one another.

But true to his want to just carry on, Vaios didn't give the duel much time at all. After parrying a strike, Vaios swept his sword up, flames following the blade as Vaios lashed it up, Zeke blocking the strike but being blown back in the wave of fire. As he skid to a stop, Zeke chuckled while retaking his stance, Vaios setting back into his own.

"We done here?" Vaios said, his gaze focusing.

"Good try, not bad." Zeke said, Vaios's gaze narrowing a bit.

"If you're gonna boast so much, why are you holding back?" Vaios said, Zeke making a surprised sound.

"Oh you could tell?" But his composure returned quickly. Though it seemed more like he was trying to play it off for some reason. "B-b-but! Wipe yourselves down, and get ready for my super-ultra-mega-move!"

"Adding more of the same word doesn't make it better!" Vaios snapped, Nia's huff much drier.

"We're waiting with baited breath, for your super-duper-whatever." Nia's biting, and clearly just as exasperated as Vaios tone, also came with Zeke's body beginning to course with electricity all along it.

"You asked for it! Hyaargh!" Zeke gave a swing of his blade, the lightning come from him and it washing out, Vaios setting his stance down as more and more lightning gathered at Zeke's sword. "Bringer of Chaos! Ultimate Lightning Fury Slash!"

"The hell is that name?!"

Zeke shot high into the air with his sword running over with power. He came down with a hard smash that, while the shockwave was impressive… also completely failed to hit the party in any form. The man smirked like he'd just shown off some grand power, but from where his sword was stuck in the ground, cracks started shooting across the ground, right until the portion of the cliff Zeke and Pandoria were on proceeded to shatter, the two falling far enough one could hear the splashes as they fell into the lake below.

"What _was_ all of that?" Vaios muttered, disengaging the Aegis Blade as he went to the newfound edge on the cliff. "I know it's weird to say but… think they'll be okay?"

"Well if he's an idiot then sure! Idiot's are notorious for being able to survive the impossible without a scratch." Nia slapped Vaios on the back, who shrugged in response.

"Don't see that everyday." Vandham said.

"Come on, that's enough nonsense." Nia started off first, Vaios nodding as everyone else followed suit in leaving the scene of the incident.

And so the party moved on, following the path along as Vandham took the lead to guide them to their destination. True to his word, the trek took hours as they proceeded along the cliff faces, following the path downwards. The path led to a small collection of natural terraced pools, and the natural path beyond it led to an even greater view of the expansive center of Uraya, as far as the eye could see stretched out by further rising paths, the glimmering lack below with creatures swimming in the depths and wandering the shallows, which as Vandham told the group as they proceeded could get shallow enough to easily leave walkable paths to follow on.

"And there she is, just off in the distance over there, Fonsa Myma!" And when the blocking views of the greater cliffs finally broke way, Vandham pointed it out. One could just make out what he was describing, and it was still peds away from the party, but they could still make it out well enough. A grand staircase stretching out from the lake itself, some path now cut off due to the stairway being damaged, and at the top of that stairway, right at the convergence of Uraya's natural pathways, was the large terraced city of Fonsa Myma, a view Vaios got a clearer look at when he put on his goggles and used their zoom function to get a better look.

"Talk about massive… the city basically takes up all of the Titan's rear." Vaios noted, Vandham nodding as a reply. "And then there's still more to it past even that… let's see, if memory serves… oh right, the Olethro Playhouse!"

"The what?" Nia said.

"An old amphitheater from ages ago build just outside of Uraya. It was part of this old temple that the city was built outwards from when people first settled here. Place doesn't see any use now, but it's one of Uraya's most famous landmarks, and a historical sight. Legends say the Addam himself received the Aegis at that place." Vandham said, Nia giving a hum as she looked at Pyra, basically asking for confirmation from said Aegis herself.

"He's not wrong." Pyra confirmed. "Addam did awaken me at that location, though it was a different time then."

"Well wait till you meet Cole then, he has quite the story about it, that's for sure! Now c'mon, days getting low, so let's find a place to camp before we carry on yeah?"

Vandham's suggestion got nods, and once they'd managed to do just that, finding a good place along the terraces to settle down and make a camp away from the roaming creatures. Thanks to Garfront the party also had actual camp supplies like bedrolls and other fire starters to make use of, everything the roaming traveler of Titans would need to make things easy.

Though as the other's rested, Vaios was seated at the cliff edge, staring out across the lake and to the city beyond it, his chin resting on a knee as the other leg freely hung over the cliff, the young man clearly lost in thought as his eyes stared off at nothing in particular.

"You can't sleep either?" Haze approached from behind, sitting down next to Vaios, who sighed. "Me neither… I just feel oddly restless right now for some reason."

"You're telling me. Something's just bothering me now… it's just all of these things that feel like they're coming crashing together. Torna… that name means a lot more to me than _just_ the people using it now. It's common knowledge it was the name of one of the Titans that sank during the Aegis War but… it feels like so much more than that to me." Vaios put a hand to his chest as he spoke, closing his fingers as images flashed in his mind. "And it always makes me remember names… Addam, Lora, Hugo… it's nostalgic when those names come to me."

"I kind of wonder what that's like, being able to remember what you've forgotten." Haze looked at her hands, Vaios glancing at her as she gave a breath. "We Blades live countless lives, and we always forgot them after we're gone. We almost never know who our Drivers were, only that we've had many throughout our time. It's like there's some innate knowledge I have, I just know you're not my first Driver. Yet, regardless of that I also feel like you and I have some kind of connection to one another…"

"Well… I think I knew you, and your Driver, a long time ago." Vaios's response got a gasp from Haze, the young man nodding as he adjusted how he was seated. "Her name was Lora. I still don't remember much about her but… you two have the same face, just like sisters even. It's not much, but I do know I didn't know her for long. You were one of her Blades, heck when I awakened you it caused a memory to come on back… you and Lora getting on my case for a training accident that ended with my arm getting popped out of its socket."

"Hahaha, well considering today you are a bit hot headed. Sounds like the kind of accident you'd get yourself into."

"Don't go patronizing me now." Vaios sighed as Haze laughed, the boy chuckling himself as he looked off at the city again. "Still… after running into that Akhos guy, I feel like things are just going to escalate. The Olethro Playhouse… the place where Addam awakened Mythra 500 years ago. It's a lot more important than people probably think it is."

"Well, we'll just have to see where things go from here I suppose. But, I'll be there the entire way. I'm your Blade too, so feel free to rely on me as much as you do Pyra!"

"And I'll be grateful for it." Vaios nodded and looked out again, giving a chuckle. "Tomorrow is definitely going to be busy, that's for sure."

* * *

"Finally!"

With Vaios's own yell of success, after a tiresome day of travel, the party now found themselves at the front gates to Fonsa Myma, the farm area around them abuzz, and nearby an Urayan Titan ship, which opposed to the Aradainian style was carried by the Titans rather than build into it. The sprawl of the city rose before them, and this close it's size was much more awe inspiring to behold.

"War with Mor Ardain is looking more and more likely by the day." Dromarch said, Vandham looking over the ships that were present, the burly man giving a low hum.

"Looks like they've expanded the military program. That's a lot of warships…" Vandham's words seemed filled with something to them, maybe worry. It wasn't really like one could say Uraya and Mor Ardain were at peace after all, it was more like a tenuous ceasefire and both sides were waiting to see who'd fire the first shot into reigniting war between the two nations.

"These ships look different to normal ships." Poppi said, Vandham nodding to the artificial Blade.

"Yeah. We don't muck about with our Titans much, no need for it. Urayans like things pretty natural."

"I've seen these kinds of ships back in Argentum before." Vaios said, Azurda popping out from his hood and to his shoulder. "The design philosophies between the two are total opposites to one another. Really shows the differences in culture."

"That could be one reason they're always at each other's throats." Dromarch suggested.

"They've been like cats and dogs for ages now." Azurda said.

"Well from where I stand, the Ardainians are worse." Nia said, flicking at her nose. "All that metal's just in bad taste."

"It's easy to think that way, but you're not considering how the Titans themselves feel." Azurda said, turning around on his perch. Nia raised a brow at that, confusion clearly on her face.

"Huh? But wouldn't all of those modifications hurt?"

"When Titans live with humans, that's just the way it is." Nia just hummed in response, clearly putting thought into it. "Back when I was at my full size, I had a hut on my back and a crane where the sun doesn't shine. I never complained, not even when Vaios or Rex fired up a grill on my shoulders."

"Hey, you enjoyed the heat old man." Vaios said, tapping Azurda on the head.

"Hmm, well, yes, I did quite like it. In fact, I actually miss it!"

"Well unless you wanna become the world's first roast Titan, you'll have to miss it for a while longer."

"I suppose."

The exchange elicited a laugh from the others, and they continued on through the gates. The path led them immediately into a large bazaar plaza, strewn about with shops of all kinds, and while mostly populated by Urayans and some Nopons here and there, plenty of other kinds of people could be seen, though few in number they were. But what caught the eye of the party was the line of citizens stretching out from a stall run by soldiers of all people.

"What in… is that some kind of ration line?" Vaios said, Vandham nodding as he stepped past the young man.

"Yeah. The government tries their best to ration out what few resources they have. In practice, it's just first come first served."

They watched as the last in the line, a small girl, reached out for what the soldiers were offering for the day. As sparse as it likely could be it at least put things into perspective. The potential war and many of the populated small Titans dying off was putting a strain on everybody… but, when a burly soldier came and pushed the girl out of the way and began mouthing off even as the kid looked terrified, Vaios immediately moved before he could put much thought to it.

"Hey! Pretty rude to shove a little girl out of the way huh?" Vaios stepped between the soldier and girl, the man eyeing him immediate disdain.

"The hell? Who're you kid?"

"Just a traveler without a lot of patience for people like you."

"What do you know brat?! I'm a soldier, been busting my butt to serve this country! I deserve these rations a lot more than some snot nosed brat!"

"And there's the kicker." Vaios smirked as the man went and grabbed him by his jacket. And a second later, as a loud slam sounded through the air, Vaios had punched the man clean in the face and sent him crashing across the plaza without a moment to lose. "Eat my fist for a while if you're so starved then, jackass!"

"Vaios, was that necessary?" Pyra said, sighing when Vaios nodded without a hint of regret about his actions. Though she immediately looked more concerned with the girl. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… he's really strong isn't it?" the girl pointed at Vaios, who snickered as he put his arms behind his head.

"Yes, but don't let it go to his head, alright?" Pyra's following statement made Vaios lurch, the young man grumbling a bit.

"We should be a bit careful while we're here too." Vandham added, pointing at Pyra's Core Crystal. "I've heard tell of someone spreading rumors around about Pyra here, some Nopon merchant apparently. I'm sure even the grunts like that fool over there have heard about her by now."

"A Nopon merchant?" Vaios tilted his head as he gave thought to that. That made a few questions, because it wasn't like any merchants had been on that ill fated venture that resulted in Pyra's awakening, and seemingly the only ones well aware of Pyra's presence were the Ardainians anyway. "Someone from Argentum maybe?"

"Excuse me, Mister Vandham?" The girl then approached Vandham, the man looking surprised as his attention was drawn to the kid.

"Huh? Oh, well if it isn't Iona!" And clearly he knew who she was, a smile spreading across his face as his tone got cheerier. "You've grown quite a fair bit! How's ol' Granpda Cole doing?" though rather than an equally joyous look, Iona's face turned downward, and Vandham gave a grumble. "Ah, not well then."

"Wait she knows this friend of yours?" Vaios said, Vandham nodding.

"He takes care of her, she might as well be his daughter. This is Iona." As Vandham introduced her, Iona have a polite nod to the others, who all introduced themselves in turn. "Now c'mon, let's go get going before a bigger crowd draws and soldiers show up. We'll be headed a bit further up, so follow along now!"

Taking the lead again, they did just that. Vandham lead them all up the steps of the other levels of the city, past the marketplace and even the residential area, up until things leveled out for quite a good ways again, the city surprisingly easy to get through even with it's leveled nature, each path clearly leading to some end or loop back onto the main road. And the place the party reached was dominated by a building, a large theater that stood out quite well among the other buildsings of the level.

"Oh my, what a pretty theater!" Haze said, Vandham laughing.

"This place here is run by Cole. He's the leader of the troupe that acts out of this joint, and right now…" Vandham went up to the board at the side of the building, then chuckling as he saw the name of the current play that would be on at this time of day. "They're in the middle of a show. Whaddya say, wanna go take a quick peek?"

"'The Heroic Adventures of Addam.' Might be interesting." Dromarch noted, Pyra gasping a bit.

"Huh, so it's a play about the Aegis War then?" Vaios said, a hand to his chin. "Never been to a theater though, and I can't really say Nopon stand-up night at Argentum counts."

"Tora never been either!" Tora seemingly also elected to ignore Vaios's job about Noponic humor.

"Let's do it! Nice and quiet though, looking pretty packed today."

The party entered into the theater, quietly so true to Vandham's advice. The room they entered after the hall was indeed pretty packed, enough that they were lucky to find places to sit at the furthest back rows. The lights were set to the stage, currently set with a stylized depiction of the Cloud Sea with a sole ship set on it, a man in theater garb loudly speaking out his narration.

"And I saw at that time that the powers of darkness had engulfed almost everything! People and Titans alike were drawn into the abyssal depths! The apocalypse was upon us, the end was nigh! But then! Despite the wounds all over his body, the great Addam stood…"

And on cue with the narrator, another actor in a costume of fanciful armor strode out onto the ship. Vaios almost couldn't help but hold a wry little smile on his face as he watched, all because of a feeling ticking at him thinking about how there was no way any of this was accurate to actual history. False thunderclaps sounded through the room, "Addam" casting an arm upwards to the brightened top of the set, raising an equally stylized and wholly impractical idea of a sword up as well.

"O Architect! Grant me power! Power to banish the dark! Power to illuminate the world!"

The scene carried on, the ribbons of "cloud" moving aside as "dark creatures" rattled their way on stage, "Addam" leaping from his mount and confronting them. And from above, the light shining there grew brighter as feathers descended. Attached to a somewhat obvious wire descended an actress in a near all white costume with large wings added to it. And again Vaios found himself smiling wryly about all of this.

"Lo! Loyal servant of the Architect! The Aegis! O Aegis! Bless me with your power! Bring light upon the world!"

"The Aegis" gave a wave of her hand, the lighting changing to amber as "fire" rose around the "dark creatures", who waved their arms around before they fell to the ground. The lighting changed once more, and the narrator strode back into view on the stage as the actors proceeded on, the set shifting to a lit doorway, "Addam" standing over "The Aegis" now on the floor once light returned to give a full view.

"Thus they defeated the darkness! But at a terrible price! Three great continents sank into the sea of clouds, forever!"

Light shifted, and "Addam" was center stage once more.

"Servant of the Architect! By thy power, the world is saved! For the gift you have granted us, we are eternally grateful! I shall spread thy legend far and wide! May your name live on for eternity!"

The curtain fell as "Addam" lifted "The Aegis" and walked off into the lit doorway, the crowd beginning to clap as it closed. Vaios glanced over as it did, noting how Pyra's expression was quite somber in comparison to everyone else who had seemed to be enjoying themselves. And it wasn't very hard for him to imagine why that would be the case.

After the crowd began leaving, Vandham stood first and gestured for everyone to follow him again, leading them to a hall on the other end of the theater that led them to the back parts of the building. Though along the way, Nia pulled at Vaios's sleeve, stopping the young man and only speaking once they were both alone.

"Kind of awkward, right?" Nia said, Vaios taking a moment but then chuckling.

"The play yeah? Well… kinda yeah." Vaios, glancing over his shoulder. "Seeing a play about her must've been kind of weird."

"No kiddin." Nia then tapped Vaios on the arm, putting a finger in his face. "So, _maybe,_ my thought is, go and make it a bit right, yeah? See if she's not like, shaken up about it or anythin'."

"Will do." Vaios nodded, and Nia trotted off with that.

"What was that about?" Pyra suddenly coming up behind him almost made Vaios jump, and he cleared his throat as he turned.

"Oh nothing, just a bit about the play… which, well, you doing alright? It must've been weird, seeing a play about, well… yourself."

"I wasn't bothered at all. In fact, I thought it was incredible! They had the cloth moving like real clouds, how did they do that?"

"I dunno, maybe people on the sides making them wave? I'm not really sure how this stuff works."

"And if anything, it's you I'm a bit worried about." Pyra took Vaios's hand, downright on an impulse of it, the boy blushing a bit as she did. "Did seeing that make you remember anything? You seemed fine the entire time, but considering what it was about…"

"What? Nah no totally fine! I mean sure the entire time I felt kind of… like weirdly amused because it feels like I know how things went but, well… no, not a thing this time." Vaios said, waving his free hand about. "But, well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself at the least. Puts me at ease a bit too."

"Me too. Let's make sure we don't fall behind the others." Pyra took the lead from there, Vaios putting a hand behind his head as he sighed to himself, then following.

The room they then found themselves at from following Vandham was large, filled to the brim with all kinds of curios of all sorts, and with posters of the plays here and there on the walls as well. The sole occupant of the room was a man in a robe, a large hood currently hiding his features.

"Comin' in old fella!" Vandham greeted, the hooded man glancing back. "Crikey! Still collecting the junk are ya?"

"Watch it you bruiser! Don't make fun of a man's hobbies." The man, no doubt Cole, turned to the lot, his face showing his age, though his smile was wry and playful… and Vaios's eyes widened a bit as he realized something: The man looked incredibly familiar to him for some reason. It wasn't exact, but he felt like he'd seen him somewhere before, somehow.

"Some greeting for your old comrade!"

"Comrade?" Nia said, Vandham nodding.

"Yeah, I was a freelancer before the firm got going. Believe it or not, but me and this old fella tore up a good few battlefields in our day."

"We sure did, and thanks to that bleeding heart of yours we almost never got paid." Cole said so with a wry bit of reminiscence in his voice, Vandham laughing it up in response.

"Hahaha! Says the guy running the theater troupe! You can't exactly be rolling in dough either!"

"Hmph. So, what can I do for you, friend?" It was also at this point Vaios picked up on it a lot more. Cole was speaking with the same accent as himself and the Blades, which meant Cole couldn't be an Urayan, and he definitely wasn't Ardainian or Leftherian if he was speaking like that either.

"Cole, you're old, ain't ya? Old enough to know how to cross over to the World Tree… how to get up to Elysium, that is."

"Elysium? But why? Why would you want to go there?" Cole then looked over the group, and he stopped dead when his eyes came to Pyra and Vaios, seemingly stopping moreso on Vaios than the former. The old man was quiet for a moment, shocked even. Then his jaw clenched a bit, and he nodded. "I see… that Core Crystal, you… so the Aegis is back among us. And… I assume this young man is your Driver? He has the looks of it."

"Well that's a first, someone who finds it out and doesn't seem miffed about it." Vaios said, leaning a bit as he shifted into that usual stance of his with his arms behind his head. Cole seemed surprised again when Haze peeked out form behind Vaios, the other Blade looking around at all the things in the room with a curious eye.

"Well… you could say I have a good eye for people." Cole said, though Vaios also caught him saying something under his breath… "He hasn't changed… even after so long."

It was so quiet nobody _should_ have heard him say it, but, Vaios always was a bit sharp of hearing. But all that phrase did was confuse him on top of the odd familiarity he was already feeling about the man.

"So how about it old man? Do you know the way or not?" Vandham spoke up again, Cole clearing his throat, like he was refocusing himself.

"I dare say if you've trekked all the way here yourselves to ask me, that you've already tried yourselves?"

"We did… and it didn't go well." Vaios said. "There's some giant machine at the Abyss guarding the World Tree. If we can't get past that thing, then finding a way past the Abyss won't matter at all."

"Well obviously. Nobody can get to the World Tree while that thing is guarding it. In fact, that creature is the reason the Abyss exists in the first place. It's circling of the World Tree gouges the Cloud Sea in it's path, preventing any form of normal travel over the clouds from getting close. It won't let anyone past." Cole said, Vaios clicking his tongue. "But, a long time ago, there _was_ a man who managed to climb the World Tree. Met the Architect too."

"And who would that be… actually, is that person even alive?" Vaios said, Cole nodding.

"Oh believe me, he's alive and well, perfectly healthy despite his age. If you want to learn how to get to the tree, you could try asking him yourself. I'll wager anything he's got some idea how to get there and get past that monster."

"Well then who is he?" Vaios muttered a bit as Cole went silent, and he sighed. He wasn't about to get agitated by the sudden silence. "If there's a way to the tree and whatever is up it, please, we have to find out how. For me… well, it's just as much about finding answers as it is helping Pyra. There's something up there for both of us to find."

"Well, I can tell you. But first, I'd like to have a word with her, if I may. With the Aegis, I mean." Cole gestured to Pyra. Vaios took a moment, but then nodded.

"Alright. I won't argue that. She's free to do what she wants as is." Vaios said, Pyra nodding too.

"Of course." Pyra said, Cole nodding and going to another door in the room.

"Please, through here." Cole opened the door and walked in, Pyra nodding to the others and following after. What was inside was a study, much cleaner than the room outside, but also good and quiet if one wanted to speak privately with another.

"Mister Cole, you're the one who wrote that play, right?" Pyra said, Cole nodding.

"I hope it didn't stir up any painful memories."

"No… some of them are… good memories."

"Heh, you know, you're not very convincing. I'm sorry, I really am." Cole let out a breath, giving a sigh as he stroked his bearded chin. "I just wanted people to know about that time. Show people how we were back in those days, really get it across to them. Will you be using it again? That power?"

"I don't know yet."

"I just don't know if the world can take it for a second time." Cole then gave a sigh. "But… if _he_ is with you, the one Addam thought could take his place as the Aegis Driver… tell me, what _does_ Vaios remember? If he even remembers anything at all. I could tell that at the least, even if he didn't know why, he recognize me, at least somewhat. His eyes are like a storm, he's full of questions, and yet he finds himself confronted by people who know far more about him than he himself does. That much was obvious to me."

"I know that. And I wouldn't use it if there was another way, but… you may also be right about that. This time perhaps… I get the sensation that for some reason, Vaios may be able to draw out a power as great as that, and control it. It's like some implicit sense I have… like something further inside of me knows he's capable of it, somehow." Pyra then let out a breath, looking at her separated Crystal. "And as for what you asked, Vaios hardly remembers anything. He gets flashes here and there, vague recollections of memories from that time, but they only ever come to him in pieces, triggered by events or people who would cause them. And I want to help him remember everything, and find the answers he's looking for, but…"

"That man is the only one who can help you get to where you're going." Cole said, then looking off. "But, I also cannot say I am sure what him and Vaios meeting will cause. You should remember as well as I do… Vaios never liked him, and that feeling was mutual to one another. If the two were to cross paths, now with Vaios as the Aegis Driver… I fear it could result in bloodshed."

"I… can't answer that."

"I also wanted to be sure if you can even make it to him. Are you sure about it?"

"We can. I mean, it's my destiny."

"Hah! If the boy was in his right state of self, I wonder what he would say to that… you know Vaios never believed in destiny, and I'm sure even without all of his memories he still doesn't. He was, and I do hope he still is, the kind of person who would rather unweave fate's tapestry to the last thread then allow it to bring him and his beloved ones to ruin."

"Well, if you're worried that losing his memories made Vaios change, there's nothing to worry about. He's still the same person he was back then, as kind as ever… though maybe a bit more hot-headed than before, at the very least." Pyra's statement was, clearly to Cole's amusement, full of warmth in it. The affection in her voice was clear, and the old man saw that as quite amusing.

"Well adopted or not, he _is_ that man's brother. The two are more alike than they'd give each other credit over." Cole got a laugh out of Pyra with that remark. "Alright, I'll help you out."

"Thank you, Minoth."

"Haha… Minoth. I'd almost forgotten that name. Now then… where did it get too?" Cole went looking around some things at a desk, and clutched at his chest as he started coughing, the fit rather harsh in sound. The sound of it also came with the door opening, Iona rushing in with Vaios behind her.

"Grandpa!" Iona said, worry all over her face as Cole leaned on the desk.

"Hey, you alright old man?" Vaios said, Vandham peering into the room, also looking worried.

"I-I'll be fine… just give me a second." Cole replied, clearing his throat. "Don't worry about me."

"Nah, we'd better call it a day old timer." Vandham stepped into the room. "I'm sorry, old fella."

"Yeah, okay… come back again tomorrow, will ya?" Cole then looked at Vaios, the young man returning the gaze. "You, Vaios… when you do, I'd like to have a talk with you as well… there's some things… I think you ought to know, before you leave here, alright? There's also something I want to give you."

"Alright." Vaios nodded, looking worried as Cole bent over in a worse fit than before, pulling his hand back as his fingers closed.

"Come on, I know a place we can go rest." Vandham put a hand on Vaios's shoulder, who nodded again.

As the group left, when they went back through Cole's collection room, Vaios stopped when his eyes caught something. Oddly in a space that was rather cleared out compared to the rest of the things in the room, was a sword, mounted on a stand and easily accessible. Double edged and just over a meter in length, the weapon's metal long since dulled to a lack of luster, its edge chipped and broken, several scorch marks running along the old blade. The guard was simple and small, and whatever wrapping the hilt may have had was long since gone. The pommel had a small pit that at one time may have held some kind of decorative gem. And pressed into the guard was a sigil, faded yet still capable of being made out… the same flame symbol that Vaios had marking his medallion.

"This is…" Vaios started to reach his hand out, his fingers getting close and just starting to brush the metal of the weapon when…

"Vaios, you comin' or what? Don't go starin' off too much, the old man hates it when people mess with this things!" Vandham called out, Vaios pulling his hand back quickly, shaking his head.

"Sorry! Just uh… he's got some interesting pieces is all." Vaios hurried out into the hallway, and Vandham chuckling as the young man shuffled a bit. "But, I'm all good."

* * *

A short time after the party had left, Cole was on his own. Whatever he'd been looking for, it was now on his desk. A dagger of an odd sort of make, that also showed it's age in it's weathered body and blade, yet notably on it was a blue gem with a faint glow. The man was silently staring at the item with a somber look in his eyes, running a hand along it. And he gave a sigh as a couple of presences came to his attention… Malos and Akhos.

"Well I'll be. It's just one blast from the past after another today." Cole turned and faced Malos in particular, who gave his usual wry smirk.

"You probably guessed, but we're not here for a reunion." Malos said, Cole scoffing.

"Just as well. The Aegis is gone already. How disappointing for you, "comrade"."

"Hmph, still an asshole." Malos sardonically chuckled, Cole just giving him a narrowed glance.

"Despite the years taking their toll…" Akhos remarked, Cole barely even glancing at him. "I'll wager all the doctors in this town are quacks, and all the Blades are blunt. Obrona and I… we could fix that stagnant ether flow with a minimum of bother. What do you say? You could still have a lot of good years ahead of you! I mean I won't deny there'd be a certain quid pro quo involved. But old man, just think of the benefits! Come, can't you lend your expertise here? Do so, and you could live for a long, long time."

"Well I mean look at you glasses, that armor of yours looks pretty roughed up. I wonder who did that to you… the Aegis Driver perhaps? He's not just some weakling you know? My guess is you didn't take any warnings you might have had at face value, and you paid for it by getting your ass handed to you." Cole's response got a visible rise out of Akhos, who stopped when Malos put his arm out in front of him. "And besides, I'm not as attached to my life as I used to be. Maybe I've had enough!"

"Your little lost souls will be simply inconsolable." Akhos said, Cole just huffing as he turned his back to him and Malos.

"The kids? No, they're strung."

"Tch… this is becoming a farce! A horrendously clichéd one at that!" Akhos said, a grumble to his tone and frustration obvious. Malos though, just turned around and left. "Break a leg!"

Cole didn't say a word as the two left, his eyes going back down to the dagger on the desk, the man grasping it's handle in his hand slowly. He knew what could possibly be coming for Vaios and his party now that those two were here… but he also knew that in some ways, it wasn't his place to interfere, not anymore.

* * *

And outside of the theater, while Malos didn't seemed shaken at all by this fail of a lead, Akhos was clearly frustrated with the result. But at the least, they did know their target was in the city. Perhaps all they had to do then, was find some way to drag her out into the open. And the idea struck Akhos as they left, the man smirking as he stopped, Malos also noticing it as well.

"What's that?" Malos said, he and Akhos looking off to one of the nearby signs.

"Hey, don't be shy. You heard everything we said, didn't you?" Akhos spoke calmly, and to his clear, sadistic delight, Iona came out from hiding behind the sign, the small girl approaching the two men.

"Can you… can you really help Grandpa?" A question so innocent and potentially malleable Akhos couldn't help but not. It wasn't like he'd been lying about it, with Obrona's power he really could alter ether flow through certain areas as he wished it. But what was the truth in face of the potential to use it to make someone do what you wanted?

"Well of course!" Akhos approached Iona, kneeling down just a bit. "We can help. That is, so long as you're willing to help us. Can you do that for your grandpa?"

An ominous air was rising over Fonsa Myma that night. Perhaps it wouldn't effect the people of the city itself… but what it heralded was something else… it heralded a change. A change that would no doubt be in many ways possibly unwelcome to those who it could effect.


	9. Chapter 9

A Turn of Fate

 **Chapter 9: Loss and Gain**

She didn't really know if it could be called a dream. Pyra let out a sigh as she looked from the rolling green hillside and to the city beyond. This memory of Elysium, or whatever name it may have had before Alrest came to be if indeed it even had one, was one she always found herself in during sleep. But unlike a dream it didn't feel ephemeral or fleeting, simply aware.

From the hilltop, while the city was distant the smaller town just down the way was in full view. The figures were vague, but people were there, moving about their lives in peace without any worry at all. And one could only then imagine what was beyond this small hovel of a location. Because surely beyond it at that city that continued to stretch on past Pyra's vision, there had to be more people, more life.

But it also came with a dreadful feeling about it. A question she kept asking herself.

"Is there any of this left?"

She couldn't know what the state of this place had become in recent times. Who knows just how old this memory was. She could hold out hope that perhaps, perhaps something had escaped the ravaging of time and this still remained. Maybe it was a thought she had because of Vaios, that maybe, if this was true, there'd be something better in store later on.

"You're quite the wishful thinker all of a sudden, aren't you?"

"You're not supposed to be here."

Pyra turned, seeing Malos leaning against the tree topping the hill. The man gave a scoff as he stepped off and folded his arms. There was nothing but an aura of danger about him as usual.

"Charming. So you're making the rules now?"

"You didn't come here to talk about the old days, did you?" Pyra's remark was dry, Malos chuckling at the tone she took. Her dislike was evident, and the man seemingly reveled in it.

"We've snatched Minoth's little brat." Pyra gasped as Malos stepped forward while speaking, a cold expression coming to the man. "Meet me at the place of your awakening. You should remember it well enough. Oh, and come alone."

* * *

Vaios jolted awake, shooting upright the second his eyes opened. He put a hand to his face as he let out a groan.

"What did I just see?" Vaios sighed as he looked over to see that Tora, Azurda, and Dromarch were still sleeping. The hotel had enough free rooms they'd all divvied up relatively evenly, with the girls in another room and Vandham taking his own. But as for how pleasant Vaios's sleep had been, what he'd just scene was quite the rude interruption. "Was that just some fever dream, or was it real… hagh, some fresh air might do me some good. Maybe I should check on Pyra too."

Though as he was throwing on the rest of his clothes, repeated bangs on the door drew Vaios's attention, along with rousing the others awake. Without even giving words to it, a short while later the entire party was outside of the hotel, where a distraught and heavily breathing Cole was along with a member of his troupe.

"Old man, what's going on?" Vandham said, Cole taking a breath to collect himself.

"Iona… she's gone! It… must've been them!" As Cole spoke, Vaios's eyes widened, and he immediately looked around, a hand clenching when he saw Pyra was nowhere to be seen amid them.

"I have a bad feeling about who "them" is." Vaios said, Cole nodding as he saw the young man was catching on.

"After you left, Malos… and some other guy paid me a visit."

"Dammit…" Vaios's hand went tighter as that confirmed it. What he saw couldn't have just been something cooked up by the unconscious mind if that was the case.

"Who was the other guy?" Nia said, though considering recent events she also had a rather good idea of who it was.

"Didn't catch his name. But he had red glasses." Cole answered, Nia clicking her tongue.

"Akhos. But what would he want with Iona?"

"I think I have an idea of what's going on." Vaios said. "Nia, Haze, you two see Pyra go anywhere?"

"Uh… no. I mean, I saw she wasn't in the room but I just thought she was going to the loo or something." Nia said, Haze shaking her head either. And they weren't gonna get an answer out of Ursula as the small Blade barely even looked awake at the time.

"Dammit that girl… why's she gotta try and martyr herself like that?" Vaios slammed his fist to a palm as he let out a growl.

"What Vai-Vai on about?" Tora said, Vaios sighing.

"I saw something when I was sleeping. Malos probably took Iona to draw Pyra out. He told her to go to the place of her awakening… so the Olethro Playhouse in the ruins."

"That would be the most logical place." Cole said. "It's far and away from anybody who would cause trouble. You have to hurry, the ruins are at the top of the Great Stairway."

"I remember that much." Vaios said, recalling the images in his mind he had about that place. "It's like that place is some damn crux of fate… come on, let's not waste time, maybe we can catch up with Pyra if we hurry!"

"Don't have to tell me twice! Fella, take care of this old man for us, yeah?" The others were already running off with Vaios in the lead, Vandham shaking his head with a wry smile as he and Roc then followed. "For a levelheaded twerp, he can sure be a hot head at the same time."

* * *

Though by that same time, Pyra had already arrived at the playhouse. The ancient amphitheater showed it's age, the once white stone structures making it up dirtied to grey, cracked and with the flooring of the main stage itself now cracked and scattered about. Waiting for Pyra there was Malos and his Blade, the man with his back to Pyra as he looked out over the cloud sea that stretched beyond them, the first peeks of dawn beginning to show at the horizon.

"Lame. How long are you planning to stay in that form, huh?"

"That's none of your concern. I am who I am. Now where's Iona?"

"Akhos is the meanest son of a bitch I know." Malos turned and gestured off a bit, Pyra turning and spotting Iona, out cold but thankfully unharmed on an upper portion of the stands.

"Heeheehee! Son of a bitch!" Obrona gleefully parroted Malos as she flitted around her Driver, Akhos giving a sigh as he tapped a sword against his shoulder.

"Hmph. I still think we should've sent them a finger or something. But you know best." Akhos shook his head as he sighed, his eyes scanning to the entrance of the playhouse just to be sure.

"You know what we're after, don't you?" Malos said, Pyra letting out a slow breath.

"Jin, is he on your side too?" She said, Malos huffing.

"I exist for his benefit. That's all I'm going to say."

"Really."

"Let's end this. Now."

Malos was covered in a golden aura as his Blade raised a hand to him, Malos's weapon lighting up as he lashed it out. Pyra blocked the blast of wind that followed the slash, though her barrier shattered against the impact. And it only followed suit in the same way, slash after slash being futilely blocked again and again, until Pyra took a glance across the arm.

* * *

And as the party was rushing their way up to the playhouse, Vaios stumbled as a sudden lash of pain shot across his left arm. He stopped as he grabbed at it, growling as he looked up towards the brightening passage before them.

"Vaios?" Azurda said, Vaios waving the Titan off.

"I'll be fine. But Pyra can't handle them by herself… but she's just in front of us, I can tell that much. Come on!"

Vaios led the rush up the final part of the stairs, pushing faster than the others. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't any time to waste in this matter, and so he ran, as fast as he could, the distance getting smaller and smaller with each step that was almost a leap up the stairs.

* * *

"Well I see I'm not the only son of a bitch." Akhos sneered as Pyra was pushed back more and more by Malos, who looked ticked off with what he was up against right now.

"Still defiant I see. Just give it up girl! You think you can do it alone? Handle that power?"

"I won't use that power! And I won't let you use it either!" Pyra raised her arms and produced a large ball of flame, though Malos didn't look impressed in the least.

"Hmm, you seem to be doing pretty well without your Driver." Akhos noted.

"Hmph, it's like you don't know who you're dealing with!" Malos took a stance as Pyra sent the fireball his way, slashing it away with a quick move like it was effortless. "You'll never be able to beat me like that."

"Well maybe the both of us can!"

"The relic?!"

Vaios came shooting out from the entryway at full speed, Malos bringing his blade up to block as the burning Aegis Blade came at him, the air shifting as Vaios was brought to a stop from his rushing in, Malos growling at the young man as their weapons locked together. Malos's Blade went in to swipe at Vaios, who disengaged and dashed back, clicking his tongue as he stopped near Pyra.

"What were you thinking running off on your own?" Vaios said, looking at Pyra, who looked between overjoyed he'd shown up and sorry about this entire mess. "Well, not like it matters now anyway."

The rest of the party showed up in short order, taking stances with their weapons ready, and Vandham quickly moving up to get Iona.

"Vandham, get Iona out of here, we can take care of these two!" Vaios got a nod from Vandham who then jumped from the stands and got out of the area, Akhos jumping down to Malos's side too, giving Vaios a particularly rueful glare. "How ya' been Akhos? That chest wound doing fine?"

"Just fine, thank you. Though I can't say you'll be so fortunate _this time."_ Akhos adjusted his glasses as he pointed a sword at Vaios. "Malos, I'd advise caution. That other Blade of his can mess with ether flows like Obrona."

"So then it's simple, we just don't let them do it!"

"Don't have to tell me!"

Malos and Akhos charged first, Vaios and Nia deflecting their strikes and attacking back, Tora and Poppi skirting around to try and get shots in with their missile fire, which was blocked by their foes's Blades.

With Malos around it also meant that unlike before the fighting wasn't as uneven, even with the party's addition of Ursula letting Nia mix up how she fought by swapping out Dromarch's ring blades for arm bracers to start punching with. With the present numbers, it meant the fighting was rapid and moved around quickly, while it was also obvious both sides were looking for some kind of opening to have Haze or Obrona use their abilities somewhere in there.

Vaios and Malos were particularly clashing the most often amid the melee, their weapons slamming together in rapid clashes, the two winding up in a weapon lock as their Blades also fired elemental blasts at each other.

"You've gotten stronger, but sadly so long as that girl is in that state, you're never gonna be able to top me, brat!" Malos ground his blade down and pushed Vaios away, going for another lash that Vaios ducked, then getting his footing and tossing the Aegis Blade to Pyra as Haze then lobbed her staff his way, Vaios rolling back up and striking with the staff at Malos, who dodged and parried as Vaios struck at him with twirling motions and jabs.

"Try me Malos! It takes a lot more than raw power to come out on top!"

"Oh I know that damn well!"

Malos's weapon switched to it's shield form as Vaios slammed down at him with the staff covered in rapidly spinning wind. The shield was shoved up as Vaios's momentum moved him down, Malos letting out a yell as he then flung Vaios off. Tora, with only a call to Vaios, moved immediately, getting right where Vaios's arc was carrying him and handing his shield to Poppi. Vaios caught on immediately and spun, landing on the shield, Poppi angling it over and then shoving off, Vaios jumping at the same moment, being flung right across the way towards Nia and Akhos, drawing his own sword as he was coming down.

"You're a bunch of crazy ones y'know that?!" Nia yelled as Vaios came crashing down, his sword slamming into Akhos's as the bespectacled man moved to block the strike, Vaios skidding past and rushing back in. "But I appreciate the save! I'll get Malos off Pyra!"

"Will do!" Vaios stepped away as Akhos slashed at him, the two exchanging slashes while Nia hopped onto Dromarch as the Blade also picked up Ursula and shot off, a roar from Dromarch sending a wave of water that gave Pyra and Haze an opening to return to Vaios as the latter delievered a heavy slash to Akhos, who jumped back after using his swords to deflect the slash.

"I must admit, I enjoyed playing my part in this hackneyed tale, but…" As Akhos twirled a sword, Vaios handed Haze her staff, energy already starting to flow around it as they were anticipating what was coming next as Obrona swirled up into the air with red particles trailing her.

"Teehee! Time for the final act?" Obrona's wings spread out, a red field beginning to spread with her at the center, Haze raising her staff with a light blue field of her own starting to rise out, the two colliding and creating a stop as the two Blades began pushing against each other.

"And that much was expected, of course." Akhos said, Vaios leveling the Aegis Blade at the man. "Obrona and your little priestess are now locked together with their fields. If either one of us enter them then we both know what would happen. Quite the situation, is it not?"

"I'll give you that much." Vaios adjusted his hands as the battle now came to a short halt of motion. Both sides knew the simple fact, the opposing field would screw with their ability to get and give ether to and from their Blades, and with the ether channels no doubt being screwed with around the casters, just aiming at Obrona or Haze wouldn't solve anything, because either side would rush to defend the target just as quickly.

It was a stalemate through and through now. What would decide it was who would give first and change who had more dominance of the battlefield, or who would be crazy enough to try and work past the limitations of their Blade being jammed.

"And again, this is where I'll say you'd be a lot better off not in this form!" Malos said, a taunting tone to his words as he paced a bit, clearly impatient with the stalemate. "If you were actually giving it your all, this would be going far differently!"

Malos clenched his open hand, dark energy of the same kind as he'd used during the fight on the derelict ship forming in his hand. He lashed it out at the party, all of them quickly moving aside as the dark energy ripped across the ground, leaving a glassed over gouge in its wake as a result of it. And the brief moment where Haze's concentration wavered to move was the moment Obrona took advantage of, pushing her disturbance field further along, catching the Drivers in it before Haze was able to push back.

"And that's Check!" Akhos clenched a hand to a fist, and the Drivers could feel the sudden dip as the ether flow to them was cut off, their weapons dimming as the energy being sent to them waned.

"Shit… don't look good!" And at the same time, Vandham was returning to the scene, right on time to see the three getting set upon again by Akhos and Malos, but now at the disadvantage of their Blade weapons being weakened, meaning the upper hand was turned to their foes.

"If I can't use my Blades, then there's a damn good reason I have a weapon of my own!" Vaios stored the Aegis Blade as he dodged Akhos's strikes at him, Malos keeping Nia and Tora preoccupied trying to avoid his strikes. Vaios drew his own sword and struck back, the weapons slamming into each other with a loud ring, and Akhos grumbled as Vaios was able to stand his ground despite the disadvantage it put him at. "What in the Architect damned hell will it take to make you leave us alone?!"

"Nothing at all! We want the Aegis's power for ourselves." Akhos said, striking out and still finding Vaios was able to match his blows, and that odd blue glow was appearing around Vaios again. "It's Jin's desire, you see, to erase all of humankind from the world!"

"Really now?!" Vaios struck back as Akhos slashed at him, Nia coming in and attacking herself as Pyra and Haze both moved, creating a dual barrier as Malos went right for Vaios, now pullng them back to fighting him while Nia kept striking at Akhos.

"Did Jin seriously say that?! Erase all of humankind?!" Nia growled at Akhos as she lashed at him, the man chuckling as he bat her blows aside easily thanks to the advantage being to him.

"My my, surely you knew better than anyone! What humans are really like!" Akhos knocked Nia back as that statement made her freeze a bit, Akhos readying to strike at the girl as he approached.

"Nia, what're you doing?!" Vandham then shot in and grabbed Nia, Roc swooping by with one of the scythes to deflect Akhos's attack.

"You've seen the capital." Akhos continued, a smug grin on his face. "You've seen the ships, weapons, and soldiers… all poised for war with Mor Ardain. Doesn't it make you wanna laugh? _Every_ corner of this world is defiled by such vermin."

"But that's nothing new!" Malos had his own say on the point as he and Vaios locked blades, both glaring each other down. "They haven't changed in over 500 years! Actually, correct that, even longer than that! You're proof of it brat! You're proof humanity never changes!"

"The hell does that mean huh?!" Vaios struck back and knocked Malos away from him, the man scoffing as he got his footing again.

"Come on, you seriously can't tell?! That body of yours isn't normal. Even with the enhancements that come with being a Driver, you're different than they are. A part of you can feel it though, can't you? Something that tells you you're not the same as them! Telling you that you were made for destruction! It's no wonder Father abandoned them!"

"Will you just shut up?!" Vaios struck again as Malos swung at him, his swing slamming against Malos's blade and sending the man back. Vaios growled a bit as flashes came across his mind, fuzzy as ever, but he was making out Malos's face in them despite it. "Are you sure the thing that hasn't changed isn't just yourself Malos?"

"He's right, Malos. The only thing that hasn't changed is you." Pyra stepped in front of Vaios, the Aegis Blade drawn at the man. "Father didn't want us to destroy innocent life! That's not why we were made at all!"

"Why did he make us then if not for that purpose? Get real!" Malos shot back, Vaios giving a hiss. "That's what we're for! To descend on the world and exterminate all these damned pests!"

"Why are you even assuming anything about that?" Vaios said, Malos glaring at him. "Who in Alrest told you that's what you exist for?! Have you even met the Architect? How would you know what he's planning, if he has any plans at all?! You're still exactly the same…"

"Oh, remembering something now are you?" Malos lifted his weapon at Vaios, the young man tightening his hold on his weapon. "Apparently not enough… peh, that's boring. Part of me was hoping you would! Sadly I don't scar easy, but oh do _I_ remember back then… I remember how damn much I started to hate you after you had the balls to stand against me even as worthless scrap!"

Malos gave a roar, and his entire body began surging with that same dark power as before, enough that the air was rumbling as it rose up around him like a pillar of flames.

"What is that power?! That can't be coming from his Blade, can it?" Vandham said, Nia's eyes going wide.

"Play time's over, let's end it, Akhos!" Malos took a stance as Akhos chuckled his agreement to it. "This time you damn relic, fall into the sea and don't come back!"

Malos's next attack was strong enough that even with Pyra and Haze making a shield together, they and Vaios were all blown away by it and crashed into the stands. Tora and Poppi flying in to attack was met by Malos's Blade getting between them, blocking the shield's deployed drill before slamming them aside, Poppi taking the bulk of the impact as they too were sent slamming into the stands, sparks going across the artificial Blade as she and Tora tumbled to the ground.

Obrona was keeping Roc occupied, though he and Vandham seemed to be aiming for something different. As Akhos has Nia in his sights, he chuckled as he against knocked aside a futile slash sent his way.

"How noble. Next!" When Akhos brought his blade down, Dromarch jumped in the way and took the bulk of the blow, Ursula and her bear partner following suit to defend against the next one. Nia yelled in clear rage at Akhos, though Obrona took that as a chance to land a solid hit on Nia herself, who collapsed next to her Blades when she hit the ground.

"Dammit… this isn't turning out well." Vaios held an arm as he stood back up, Haze and Pyra panting as Malos turned back towards them. "How the hell are we gonna get out of this? More… we need more…"

"Don't think you'll have it that easy!" Vandham yelled from outside of the main field, tossing his weapons to Roc, a swirl of wind following as the Blade lashed his arms forward, bolts of wind ether rushing forward and raining down at Malos and Akhos.

"An attack from the outside?!" Malos growled as he bat aside the shots nearing him, which proved that in truth they were actually rather weak, but, it was giving the party time to try and get clear.

"Ah the lunk is back." Akhos shook his head as he danced around the air shots, smirking at Vandham. "But that peashooter won't help you in this situation. Even if you hit it'll barely register!"

"Bloody idiot! Think I don't know that?!" Vandham then leapt and took the scythes back from Roc, landing between Vaios and their foes, the man standing tall, Vaios standing again as Vandham looked back at him. "You ready Vaios? I got one more lesson for ya. Something else you can do with a Blade!"

And to Vaios's visible shock, Vandham then took the ends of his scythes and drove them both into his body. Sick squelches sounded as Vandham drove them deeper, eliciting a pained groan, but, as he did, the glow of an ether flow began appearing around the man, air starting to shift around Vandham's arms.

"He's channeling the ether from his weapons into his own body!" Akhos said, Malos growling.

"Yeah, nothin' you can do to stop this ether flow. Nothin' at all!"

Vandham charged with a roar, swinging his arm and sending a wave of wind energy forward at Akhos, who was blown away as Obrona's guard was broken. Malos attacked in turn though his fist, coursing with dark energy, was met head on by Vandham's own empowered strikes. Roc swooped in when Malos's Blade went to attack as well, turning it into a melee between the Blades and their Drivers.

Amid it, Nia started to move forward, but, she stopped dead, gritting her teeth and moving a hand to her chest. Dromarch looked on as he shakily rose up as well. Whatever the reasoning was, there was something to that motion of Nia's.

"Vandham, what're you doing?!" Vaios called out, moving to get into the fight himself.

"Move it Vaios! Take Pyra and scram!" Vandham spoke even amid his clashing with Malos, Vaios growling as he gripped the Aegis Blade, a flicker starting to move across its edge.

"But you… I can't just leave you behind! I'm not gonna leave you to die against these guys!"

"Vaios, don't go throwin' your life away for me! You've gotta make it! You gotta get away from here now!" Vandham slammed his arm down at Malos, who blocked and struck back, Vandham blocking in turn and then kicking Malos away. "Live! Live for her! You've gotta make it to Elysium, right?!"

" _I promise, I'll make it back alive."_

Vaios's own voice flashed in his mind, the grip on his weapon making his knuckles go white as he grated his teeth.

"Like I'd allow that!" Malos shot forward with a slash of his blade, blood splattering across the ground as he rammed it into Vandham, the man stumbling back with his wound oozing. "This is all starting to piss me off, so give it up!"

Vandham raised his hand to start trying to cast again, but, Malos strode forward and bat the attempt aside with casual contempt in his actions. Vaios, clearly incensed, yelled as he lashed his blade, a gout of fire flying from it, though Malos's Blade easily blocked it. Malos looked back at Vaios, the contempt for him clear in his eyes before he looked back to Vandham.

"Just go Vaios! Remember, to fight you war!"

And the instant those words had left Vandham's mouth, Malos's blade came down on him. One clean cut across the chest, blood flying everywhere from the wound, and any light in Vandham's eyes immediately went dark. His body fell as the weapons stuck in him faded, and it wasn't long after that Roc also vanished, his dimmed core clattering to the ground. And Vaios's face was nothing but horrified, a tear falling and splashing to the ground, the scream that wanted to come out catching in his throat.

"Oh please, what a cliché." Akhos huffed as he adjusted his glasses, mockingly sneering at Vaios as the young's gaze darkened over.

"Vaios…" Pyra muttered as she looked at Vaios, his form shaking as that blue glow began edging across him again.

"Dammit old timer… I'm not worth that much. Another person's life… isn't worth any of this." Vaios adjusted his grip, though he stayed silent as Pyra put a hand to his arm.

"Vaios, we can't keep fighting, we have to go!"

"If we run, they'll just follow us." Vaios said, a gleam in his eyes as he looked at Malos and Akhos. "They won't stop chasing us, they'll follow us to the ends of the earth to get you… and how many more people will die before they decide it's enough to get you? I won't… I refuse it. I refuse to allow anyone else to die because of this bullshit!"

"What in the… why is the ether getting stronger around him? I cut off his connections!" Akhos gasped as the glow around Vaios grew into an aura, and as it did the Aegis Blade in his hand lit up again, the flaming edge brighter than it had been even before it lost connection. And Vaios followed up by loosing a blast of flames that raked across the ground as an inferno, Malos and Akhos moving out of the way, Vaios then dashing forward and attacking again, his blade slamming down on Malos's as the man slashed in return.

"It has nothing to do with his Blades. He's doing this all on his own." Malos said, exchanging a flurry with Vaios before their weapons locked again. "You realize it now brat?! That power of yours is something no _human_ has!"

"What I am doesn't matter!" Vaios roared as he countered and shouldered Malos, the glow from his eyes trailing as he dashed in to continue. "I'll keep fighting for as long as I have to, because I refuse to bend to someone like you!"

"How is he… is Vaios a…" Nia's eyes were wide as she watched the continuing fight, though Vaios wasn't gaining much ground, even if he was able to hold his own in whatever state he was currently in.

"Vai-Vai…" Tora managed to stand too, but was still defensively guarding Poppi himself. It was almost all they could do, but stand by and watch.

As the clash between Malos and Vaios continued, after a flurry of blows, Malos managed to deflect Vaios's blade, sending it careening to the side and creating a wide opening.

"You're done brat! This time I'll make sure there's nothing left of you!" Malos's blade was coursing with dark energy as he brought it up, starting to move it downwards as Vaios started shifting to attempt to block it.

"Vaios!" And as Pyra screamed out, something, somewhere, also woke up from a very long slumber of it's own.

The glow that shone from Pyra's cores grew into an almost blinding light. The energy around her exploded outwards, shaking up the ground and causing Malos to stop dead as the shockwave hit him, everyone looking as the swirling gold light around Pyra grew more and more intense. And then her form changed, her body vanishing before reforming amid the golden light. Now it wasn't Pyra standing there, but a girl garbed in white and with golden hair and eyes… and a different name came from Vaios as he saw her.

"Mythra?" And Vaios looked down as the Aegis Blade began glowing too, closing down before also changing form, changing from the single edged red sword into a brilliant white and golden twin-edged one, it's form opening up and a blade of emerald light rising from it. All of this was feeling familiar to Vaios, more flashes coursing through his mind, and all of it clearly about that girl, Mythra.

"Y-You can't rewrite the act now! It's too late!" Akhos started to rush forward as he readied his weapons, Mythra glancing at him as the emerald gems on her form also glowed.

"Hey idiot! Look out!" Malos shouted, though Akhos didn't catch it.

One may have thought it was finally the sun breaking into down, but the light that suddenly pierced everybody's vision came from much higher. Something from on high rushed downwards, Akhos almost taking the brunt of the first blast. And more only followed, golden beams blasting the ground and leaving craters wherever they struck, Akhos and Malos barely dodging all of them. And one other, far larger blast was then fired, the impact enough that it didn't just leave a crater, but destroyed the entire half of the amphitheater behind where it struck, the ancient stone falling to pieces and into the clouds below.

"You awoke at last! Mythra!" Malos though, seemed outright giddy as Vaios edged over towards Mythra, the man's wild grin telling all as he struck again, Vaios blocking the slash as a Blade barrier also formed.

"Mythra… geez, what the hell is going on?!" Vaios said, looking back, and Mythra looked at him with a glare on her face… but her eyes told of something else, there was nothing but relief in them.

"You damn idiot. Why is it you always get yourself into trouble when I'm not around?" Mythra said, and while her voice, like her face, was the same as Pyra's, her tone was much rougher in sound. "And that's not even all I have to say to you. But we have other concerns right now, I can grill you later."

"Geez, same as ever!" Vaios said that without thinking much as Mythra dropped the barrier and he lashed at Malos, Mythra flinching a bit before shaking her head.

"Focus. If you don't focus then I can't transfer power to you."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Vaios smoothly dodged as Malos's Blade struck at him, flipping past and easily countering when Malos struck at him, knocking the man away before moving back. "This feels way different than before… heh, but that's fine."

"No, it can't be! My powers are useless!" Akhos gasped as even while he attempted too, the connection between Mythra and Vaios stood strong even with Obrona's field up. "Where is that energy coming from?!"

"Wake up, she's not drawing it from the ether, it's from something else." Malos snapped.

"Not… ether?" Akhos said, having no idea what if anything Malos could mean.

"Mythra, looking good. Things are heating up! This is what I'd call a blast from the past for sure!" Malos chuckled, he and Akhos charging forward again, both weaving around to draw Vaios's attention between them.

"Let's do it!" Mythra got a nod from Vaios, and then she gave a breath… and that was when things seemed to slow down to Vaios.

Malos and Akhos slowed to a crawl, but he could see it clearly, phantoms of them showing where there movements were taking them, all the motions of their steps, and even their weapons as the phantoms drew closer and closer.

"What the…"

"This is called Foresight." Mythra said, answering Vaios's clear question. "It's a prediction of what will happen in the immediate future. Read their movements, and find the right moment to counter and strike."

"Heh, so this is what Addam was seeing huh?" Another remark he gave without much though, Vaios shaking off the edge of confusion he felt about it. "Let's go!"

The pause faded as Vaios fell into his normal stance. He ducked under Malos's middling swing, and spun around to slam Akhos as he charged, getting right between the man's twin swords and flinging him to the side with a smooth motion.

"He… how did he dodge that?!"

"Who cares how?! Just get them!"

"No ya' don't!"

Vaios shifted ever so slightly as Malos attacked him again, dancing past the slashes before countering with a few of his own, one cleaning landing and knocking Malos back, Vaios quickly following up with an extra kick that sent Malos rolling to the ground. Obrona charged ahead of Akhos as they attacked again, Vaios twirling around the Blade and catching Akhos's slashes, countering with another clean strike that sent Akhos sprawling back too.

Mythra didn't sit idly by either, a golden light appearing in the air before bolts began raining down on Malos and Akhos, though their barriers were just barely able to hold against the barrage while it lasted.

"Th-There's no way! There's no way to break their link! I don't think we're going to beat them!"

"I'm here too!" Haze also got up from the sidelines, Vaios nodding as she reaided herself, Mythra giving the other Blade a look before nodding herself. And Malos then laughed, a hand to his face as he looked at the trio.

"This is the true power of the Aegis. Ah it takes me back! I've waited so long to see it again. And with a threesome like that here too, this is just like 500 years ago! Mythra, welcome back!"

"Nia, get yourself and Tora healed up! We can handle these two!" Vaios shouted as the fighting started up again, Nia nodding as she grabbed Dromarch's rings and got over to Tora, who was hurriedly checking over Poppi as the Artificial Blade kept sparking, though she was otherwise fine.

And as already proven, with Mythra's power at his disposal Vaios had a much easier time handling both Malos and Akhos as they came at him. Being able to read their moves seconds before they would even make them meant there wasn't a strike he could avoid or counter, and with Haze running on backup, even if the still present scrambling from Obrona meant she couldn't use her own while in it, her ranged support with wind blasts meant their foes had a deal more to worry about amid their clashes.

Akhos got knocked away from the engagement and kept back by Haze, while Vaios and Malos caught their blades together again. Malos looked positively thrilled as he and Vaios clashed, though he started losing ground during the clash. Vaios dodged another strike from the man, and with a quick move, slammed his sword into Malos's, and with a wrench of the blade as the edges slid across it other and locked into the hilts, the weapon was pulled out of Malos's hand and sent skidding across the ground.

"Uh… hahahaha!" Malos went from surprised to laughing in an instant, looking at Vaios with a twisted grin of both twisted joy and malice. "Now that's something! Look at just how powerful you are now that you're _really_ using the Aegis! Jin had a point! You're plenty dangerous now! And I like it!"

"Well sadly I think we're about done here." Vaios shifted his stance, and Mythra grabbed onto the Aegis Blade as well, Haze retreated as their aura kicked up as they raised the weapon high.

"SACRED ARROW!"

The rain of bolts of light that fell was far more intense than before, Akhos and Malos caught in it, while within short order, the Bladed barriers that had been erected fell away, Obrona and Malos's Blades getting struck right in their crystals after their barriers fell.

"W-What is this?! Akhos!"

"OBRONA!"

Akhos shouted as Obrona faded, her now black Core Crystal falling to the ground, Malos growling as his own Blade vanished, and along with him his weapon as well. Akhos collapsed to his knees as he stared at Obrona's dark crystal, Malos clicking his tongue.

"We've gotta retreat, Akhos!"

"Obrona…" but his companion looked like he was barely thinking of much else, Malos shaking his head.

"No time for that Akhos!" Malos gathered energy at his hand and then slammed a fist down onto the ground, kicking up a massive cloud which, by the time it had faded, left no sign of Malos and Akhos's presence anymore.

With the sunlight of the new day now bathing the area, Vaios looked over as the Aegis Blade disengaged, his gaze stopping on Vandham's body, the young man starting to walk towards the fallen mercenary. Mythra then changed back to Pyra, who collapsed on the spot, Haze catching her as she fell.

Vaios looked back for a moment, then forward, kneeling down and adjusting Vandham's head, shifting his hand over and closing the man's eyes. As he stayed kneeled, Vaios stored the Aegis Blade and then drew his own sword, planting its tip on the ground, and pressing his head to the guard. Something had come to mind for him, and right now, for whatever reason, it only felt appropriate.

"As the knight's soul returns to the drifts of the ether, may he, oh noble soul fallen in battle, find rest within the skies above. The time when your blade comes to rest has arrived, so noble warrior, find your peace among the stars, as we carry on your will with our own swords, and swear to move ever further into the dawn you paved a path for."

Nia didn't say a word as she walked over to Vaios. As she got closer, she saw it clearly as he stopped speaking. He was silent as he could manage, but tears were falling from Vaios's eyes as they opened doing his best to hide it a bit as he leaned further into his position. Nia just kneeled down herself and pulled Vaios into a hug, letting his soft sobs at least received something as the girl held him. Dawn had come, but it wasn't a dawn for reverie. It was a dawn of grief. Even if something had been gained, something else had been lost in the process.

And all they could do now was move forward. The words Vaios has uttered had echoed it clearly, and so too did the words Vandham had left them. They couldn't stop here, they had to move forward, they had to fight their war and see it to its end.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Moving Forward**

The sun was high as the peak of day drew closer, bathing the battle scarred remains of the Olethro Playhouse in sunlight. Gathered there before a newly made grave was the members of the party, sans only Pyra, and Vandham's closest friends. Dromarch stood before them all, his rumbling voice giving the final eulogy or Vandham, the man's name boldly carved into the stone of the grave.

"The body may die, but never the soul, which is merely passed on. Souls flow onward, born and reborn, forever part of the great ether stream."

"Why friends make grave here?" Tora quietly asked, trying not to upset the somber mood. "Can we not take Biggipon home to village?"

"He'd want to be buried where he fell. It is traditional amongst mercenaries." Azurda said.

Dromarch moved aside from the grave, Iona approaching and setting a bundle of flowers before the grave. And the young girl's grief was clear as day, tears starting to stream from her eyes as she stayed on her knees.

"I'm sorry Vandham… If I just hadn't listened to those guys you'd still be… I'm sorry…" Iona's sobs and apologies slowed a bit as Vaios approached, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle nudge as he gave a soft smile, one still showing his own pain in this situation.

"Don't blame yourself, Iona. They were after us anyway, and all you wanted to do was help your grandpa. Vandham wouldn't blame you for that. What matters is that he saved all of us. So… we have to keep living, and doing our best, to make sure we're worth that… so, don't make yourself shoulder this." He said, patting Iona on the head as she nodded, wiping her tears away, trying to show a smile of her own.

"You're right." Iona nodded, Vaios returning the gesture.

"I won't forget Vandham, I promise." Vaios stood and laid a hand on the grave, pulling out Roc's still dimmed Core Crystal, gripping it tightly. "Until I've reached the end of this, I'll fight my war… with Pyra and Mythra."

Haze then gave Vaios a tap on the shoulder. The young man turned, and his eyes widened a bit as he saw Pyra approaching. The Blade didn't say a word as she approached the grave, only folding her hands and bowing her head for a few moments. Vaios couldn't help but worry if she was putting some of the blame or this on herself as well. But, that wasn't the most concerning thing.

"You alright?" Vaios said, Pyra giving an affirming nod as she stepped to the side. Vaios, more on impulse, stepped over and grabbed her by the hand. "Good I… was worried you wouldn't wake up. Haze said you were fine but… hagh. Look, I know that what happened yesterday with you… with Mythra, probably has you uneasy right now… but it's fine, I promise. I'm just… worried, about both of you."

"I kind of want to know what that was all about myself." Nia said, her own concerned look present. "That power wasn't normal. Is _that_ what the true power of the Aegis is? It was pretty crazy, so I at least think you owe us an explanation."

"Tora want to know too. Pyra was super strong! Why so strong huh?"

"Now now, don't pressure the girl too much." Azurda said, Pyra though, looking around the party and then to Vaios, looking to the side as his earnest look didn't really help dissuade the uneasiness she felt, even retreating from him a bit as she started to stammer.

"Well… I… uhmm…" As Pyra fumbled with her words however, a flash from her Core Crystal made her flinch. And with a quick flash of light, her form changed again, Mythra standing before the party, her eyes going to Vaios.

"Mythra?" Vaios saying her name seemed to make something in the girl snap a bit. Mythra's eyes became a glare, and she stalked up to Vaios, grabbing him by the collar.

"Why?! Why did you wake me up?" Mythra was almost growling at Vaios as he gasped in confusion, both at the outburst and the fact Mythra looked to be on the verge of tears as well. "I didn't want to wake up! I didn't _want_ to come back! But then you… why?! Why do you always have to risk yourself for others?! You're _in_ this situation because of it! I couldn't… I couldn't handle it without you! I left things to her so I wouldn't have to come back, because I thought _you_ were _gone!_ So why, Vaios, why did you wake me up?! Why did you come back?!"

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Vaios responded, even as he saw Mythra's expression break from anger to clear anguish. "I won't just sit around and allow people to die! If I hadn't fought back, who _else_ would Malos have killed?! You know he doesn't care about how many lives he takes!"

"You're always such an idiot!" Mythra shoved Vaios, growling at him again. "Didn't you listen to that Vandham guy? He said to run, to hold yourself back! But you just had to! You just had to run off and put yourself into danger _again!_ Last time you did that I… we _lost you!"_

"But I'm still alive, we're all still alive!" Vaios snapped back, grabbing Mythra by the wrist as she turned away. "I kept my promise didn't I?! I told you I would make it back alive… and somehow, I did!"

"You don't get to just come back and act like it makes things better!" Mythra snapped, the welled tears now coming down. "When I thought you were gone I… there's a reason I didn't want to use this power again! And look where you being an idiot, _again,_ got us!"

"I know that!" Vaios yelled, his own tears welling again. "I know I messed up! But it's too late for me to go thinking how it could've gone if things had been different! But even if I was being stupid, I'm not just going to hand you over to them! Just as much as I didn't want more people to die, I wanted to keep you safe too!"

"Th-That's not fair." Mythra muttered, wiping a hand over her eyes. "I've had enough for now. If you all have questions, ask her. I need to cool off!"

"Hold on!" Vaios said, but before anything else, Mythra turned away from him and shifted back to Pyra, who, as soon as she got her bearings, gave a low sigh.

"That's not fair." Pyra said, shaking her head, turning to the others and giving a small bow. "Everyone, I'm very sorry about all of that. Let's keep talking somewhere else."

* * *

The theater, that was where Pyra had decided to go. She was seated on the edge of the stage, while Vaios and the others stood just before her in front of the seats.

"Malos and I are both Aegises." She began to explain, in some ways more to the other members of the group than Vaios, but still giving him a cursory glance. "Blades born with a terrible power, strong enough to destroy the world…"

"Malos is another Aegis?" Nia said, glancing at Vaios, "Vaios, did you know this? I mean, you two seem to have a history. What's with him callin' you "relic" anyway?"

"I… maybe at another time I did." Vaios said, closing a hand tightly. "And I have no idea why he calls me that."

"There's a reason behind it… but that isn't that clear to me either." Pyra said, Vaios sighing. "As for the other topic. A long time ago, a man, Amalthus, climbed the World Tree, hoping to make it to Elysium and meet its creator. But, when he arrived at Elysium, he found it empty. And with it, a creator who didn't hold the answers he wanted to find. So instead, as proof that he'd reached that divine realm, he brought back two Core Crystals, or at least, objects _like_ Core Crystals, Malos, and me. One emerald, one amethyst. And once he made it back to Alrest, he awakened Malos. Why he did it, I can't say. For greed… for power… or perhaps, something else. When Malos awakened, he used his world-shaking power without restraint. To him, it was natural. He had never known anything else. I… Mythra, to be precise, was awakened by a Driver who was determined to stop Malos's rampage, Addam Origo, the man you now know as the Hero of Torna. So, us Aegises fought. And it took everything I, that Mythra, had to take down Malos… but at a great cost. Three Titans fell during the course of that war, one of them being Torna itself. Mythra… something inside of her broke during the battle as well, and I was brought into existence as a result. Afterwards, I asked Addam to seal me away, so that that kind of power could never be used on the world again."

"Which explains the ship." Vaios murmured, running a thumb over his medallion as well.

"You also said Amalthus… as in the Praetor of Indol?! _He's_ Malos's Driver?!" Nia voiced the obvious shock, Pyra's nod causing Nia and Tora to double take. "Bloody 'ell, then he's over 500 years old?! How'd he live so long!? I know Indolines are long lived, but _that_ long? That some bonus for being an Aegis Driver?"

"But… wait, where Vai-Vai involved in story?" Tora said, raising a wing up. "He and Mythra seem to have long relationship, by way both acted."

"That's because…" Pyra murmured, Azurda flitting up.

"Simply put, that is because, 500 years ago, during the Aegis War, Vaios was there." Azurda's statement got shocked gasps once more, Vaios grabbing his medallion again. Azurda didn't need words from any of them to see the coming questions. "Vaios, I know there is a chance some of those memories have returned, yes? I heard you talking with Vandham the other night, and what you said is the truth. You were one of Addam's close companions during the Aegis War, in fact by way of adoption, you two were brothers. That medallion you wear was given to you as proof the day the decision was made."

"But… how?! Even if it's true, that doesn't make sense!" Vaios said, a hand at his head. "These past five years, Azurda, you know! You've been with me pretty much ever since I woke up on Leftheria and when Rex and I left! How can I…"

Vaios then flinched as his words stopped dead. He started thinking about what Malos had said to him back then. Why it is the other Aegis called him "relic", the apparent well of power he had access to, the fact he had seen memories of a world _not_ covered by the Cloud Sea…

"I'm… I'm not human, am I?"

"Maybe… maybe you're some kind of Blade?" Nia said, but, both Pyra and Azurda shaking their heads shot that idea down immediately.

"Not quite." Pyra said, getting off the stage and taking Vaios by the hand. "But I'd say it's also wrong to say you're not human… you are, but, in a different way. Vaios, what you are is something even older than the idea of a Blade… but neither Azurda or I know what that is."

"Well…" Vaios took a breath, clearly trying to calm himself down a bit. "I already said it when fighting Malos, what I am doesn't really matter that much in the end. Besides, I'm going to Elysium for answers about that anyway. Having that at least somewhat cleared up is actually more of a relief than anything."

"You astound me with your ability to take things so well." Nia hummed, Vaios putting a hand behind his head.

"And as for where we were, that ship and what happened after, is pretty much history." Pyra said, looking back to Vaios, squeezing his hand a bit. "I believe it's fate we met again… otherwise my sister never would have woken up. Vaios, Addam wanted you to succeed him as our Driver, if anything ever happened… perhaps what you are ensured that would come to pass."

"Well, I've never really been one to believe in things like fate." Vaios said, an amused little grin on his face. "But that is at least one thing I remembered… though the more I start to remember, the more questions I just find myself having about back then… and, wait, sister?"

"Well, what else would I call Mythra?" Pyra said so like it was a simple fact, Vaios giving a hum as the gears in his brain clearly got moving. "We used to talk, in that dream of Elysium where you met me. We promised that, when we were awakened again, we'd go home to the real Elysium. And then, we would fulfill our real purpose… though as things are now… well, that's for another time, I suppose."

"But right now, I guess that's beating Malos again right?" Vaios said, Pyra nodding. "Well… going by what he said, I guess he and I _also_ have some kind of history together… guess a grudge can last even for 500 years if it's the right person."

Vaios then looked to Haze, who tilted her head with a questioning look. Vaios couldn't shake the feeling off either… about what Malos had said, about things being like 500 years ago. Vaios had that same sensation to him, as if things were coming together in a way that would seemingly try to bring history to repeat itself in some manner.

And something in him felt that wasn't something he wanted to allow to happen.

* * *

It had been decided to just let the rest of the day be one to let everybody rest up and recover from the previous days happening. Cole had already gotten to helping charter a ferry so the party could make their way to Argentum the next day. Vaios had elected to spend time on his own in one of the hotel rooms, a journal opened in his lap, his pen scratching along the paper.

He was writing down both a record of recent events, but also the things he was starting to remember as well. Why he felt the journal was necessary, he wasn't sure, but he felt if he at least did this, he'd have something more than his own recollections to refer to… perhaps a small feeling of paranoia about ever losing his memories again made him do it, so he wanted to write down whatever he could.

"Heh… wonder if there's ever been a Blade who felt the same as I do about this?" Vaios let out the chuckle as he set the pen down, closing the journal and giving a soft sigh.

Nia had went into town with her Blades and Haze to gather some supplies, while Tora was elsewhere doing maintenance on Poppi to make sure she was in top condition, though also probably a bit of the Nopon's own concerns about the matter and the pride he took in his Blade. So that just left Vaios alone in the quiet of the room since he wasn't sure what Pyra was up to.

"Vaios?" Though the girl peeking into the room answered that question immediately, Vaios giving a little wave as he leaned his chair back with a foot to the desk. "Uhm… I'm sorry about Mythra and how she acted. Things are just kind of… complicated for her right now. She didn't mean anything bad by what she said. Her head's just sort of a mess because of… well, because of you."

"Oh no it's fine… honestly it felt oddly nostalgic once the heat died down." Vaios gave a hum as Pyra stepped in, rocking himself back and forth. "It made me remember a bit… we kind of bickered all the time as it was, so snapping like that was just kind of familiar to me. Guess I was reacting to things without really thinking about them much huh?"

"Well… she came out because she wanted to protect you. We both did." Pyra said, putting her hands on Vaios's shoulders, the young man glancing up at her. "She broke her own seal for you, used her power as the Aegis… all because with you right there in front of her, she didn't want to lose that again. My flame powers are just a shadow of her strength. Droplets of excess energy, trickling through the seal."

"It's nothing to worry about." Vaios said, putting a hand to Pyra's and giving her a smile. "She was at least right about some of it. Azurda's always told me too, I'm a bit too headstrong for my own good sometimes… but when people are in trouble, I can't help but want to try and do something. If I have the power to do something, to help others when they're in danger, why shouldn't I try to use that however I can? But I also have to bear the responsibility for what I do… and besides, _you've_ actually opened up a little, and I'm pretty glad about that."

"Really?"

"Of course." Vaios said, standing up. "And besides, you're about as reckless as I am… but even still, you went to protect everyone with your own power. Shadows or not, I think it's impressive you did all of that to try and save everybody else."

"Protect… me?" Pyra seemed a bit taken aback by the idea, Vaios nodding.

"Yeup. But next time, bring your Driver with you alright? We're a team, so we do things together, no matter how stupid or reckless it may be." Vaios put a hand on Pyra's shoulder, and the girl looked down, her face a bit red.

"I'm sorry… I…"

"Also, you apologize to much." Vaios then, to Pyra's surprise, went and flicked her on the forehead, earning a yelp from the Blade as she put her hands to the spot, Vaios chuckling as he lowered his hand. "Look… even if the power the Aegis holds is capable of destroying a lot of things, maybe even the world, feeling guilty about it all the time won't help your, or Mythra. Besides, think about it this way, if the Aegis is powerful enough to destroy the world, then by that same logic, it's powerful enough to save it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… let's see." Vaios put a hand to his head, then snapping his fingers. "See, there's something else I remembered… what "Aegis" even means. It's another of those words I know for some reason… what I do know is this, wherever it came from, Aegis means something that protects something else. So… doesn't that mean Malos is wrong about the Aegises being meant to destroy everything? Maybe you two were meant to protect people, to protect this world?"

"Vaios… I…"

"Vandham said it himself: Power depends on the heart of it's wielder." Vaios then tapped a fist to Pyra's chest, chuckling again. "And you're too nice a person to go around destroying things without a care. As long as you want it to be that, your power and Mythra's can be a power that protect others. So, don't go around apologizing so much all the time, because I'll make sure this becomes a world where you don't have to. If you'll be the Aegis that protects people, then I'll be the Aegis Driver who protects you to make sure that can happen."

"Vaios… thank you." Pyra put her hands onto Vaios's as he chuckled again. Then the girl took a moment, shuffling a bit like she was thinking something over, Vaios tilting his head. "Also uhm… I know it may be a _bit_ awkward to ask right now of all times but… I kind of, well… wouldn't mind if we picked up were we left off at Garfront. I… sort of want to make it up to you a bit."

"You mean…"

"Yes."

And that confirmation made Vaios feel like he'd just taken a shield hammer right to his sense of reason, the air going out of him a bit as Pyra looked at him with a mixed look of embarrassment and earnestness about her expression.

"I'll shut the door and lock it."

Vaios was quick to do just that as Pyra nodded, the girl going to the window and shutting the curtain as Vaios did the lock. Though as things in the now much more private room got under way, a certain Nopon was trotting up the stairs.

"Vai-Vai! Can you help Tora with repairing of Poppi please?" Tora called out, tilting his head when he saw that the door was shut, and a quick jiggle of the handle showed it was also locked to him. "Vai-Vai? You fall asleep in there?"

Tora made the grave decision to press his ear up to the door. And not a moment after he did, the Nopon froze in shock, his entire body starting to turn read before he let out a yelp and started skittering off.

"Tora apologize! Not mean to interrupt on special blushy-crushy time!" The Nopon's screams however pretty much went unnoticed by the occupants of the room.

And sitting on the number sign for the room, Azurda shook his head as he flitted off, chuckling as he began fluttering down the hallway.

"Ah the wiles of youth and those in love. Heh, hope they don't do too much to the room, might make the hotel charge a bit extra to clean it up."

* * *

The new day had come, and before the party's due departure, they'd met up with Cole in front of the theatre. The man had handed Vaios what he'd intended to before the mess from a couple of days before had happened. A dagger, one of an odd make, and in it, a blue crystal with a few flecks of red. The weapon of a Blade, surely, but one that showed age and years, if not decades, of merely sitting around without any hint of repair done to it.

As Vaios gripped the weapon, he felt that odd sensation of familiarity come to him. And Cole certainly didn't miss that expression when it came to the boy's face.

"What's this got to do with where we're going?" Vaios looked the weapon over, flipping it around a bit, Cole giving a long hum.

"Take this and go to Indol. That dagger's owner can tell you how to get to Elysium. You may not even need it, but, consider it an extra precaution so that he knows who sent you."

"Amalthus, right?" Vaios said, Cole looking a bit surprised. "Indol's Praetor… and Malos's Driver. Pyra told us… and I remembered, a bit anyway. It's still not much but… I knew him, didn't I?"

"Knew is a bit of a stretch." Cole said. "More like… you were acquainted with one another."

"And here we go again with findin' out he's connected to a bunch of odd people." Nia said, shaking her head, finding she was getting used to this apparent trend that was cropping up. "Next you'll tell me he knows the Architect as well, if things keep up at this rate."

"Haha, don't go jinxing it now." Cole chuckled, Nia rolling her eyes. "But not just that… Amalthus was once also my own Driver. Hence why it's more accurate to say he owns that weapon."

"Wait… what friend mean?" Tora asked, Vaios looking back to Cole, feeling a flash come to his head again as Cole moved aside part of his shirt… revealing a Core Crystal, one that like the dagger's, bore marks of red within its glowing blue coloration.

"Minoth…" Vaios murmured, Cole showing a satisfied smile as he closed his shirt. "I… remember now. You were there…"

"Yes. He fought together with us as one of Addam's companions during the Aegis War." Azurda said. "In fact, you two were quite chummy, as I recall."

"Haha, we just exchanged stories is all. Yet while I've aged like shit, you haven't changed one bit, Vaios." Cole put a hand to Vaios's shoulder, the young man giving a sigh as he shook his head. "Guess what you told me was true after all then."

"What _did_ I tell you?" Vaios raised a curious brow, Cole pulling his extended hand to his chin.

"Well you decided to be vague about it. Mostly that you were something _like_ a human, but born in a different way and all that. Didn't tell me more than that though, mostly cause you said it doesn't matter. I presume the same holds true in your head even now?"

"Pretty much." Vaios sighed as he put a hand to his head, muttering how it seems his actions in the past were screwing him over from more easily finding some things out from someone who turned out to be an old companion of his from that time. "Either I'll remember it myself or I'll find out when we get to Elysium, whichever happens first."

"Blades not get old though!" Tora pointed out finally. "Why Cole look so old?"

"That's a good question, actually." Vaios added. "Heck, why does your Core Crystal have those red marks in it?"

"Because I'm one of the Cursed Ones. A Flesh Eater." Cole said, Vaios and Tora tilting their heads, Haze and Poppi following suit. Nia however, bunched up a hand as she gasped, Dromarch looking to her with visible concern. "A Blade who has been fused with human cells. A long time ago, before the war, some thought to test the limits of a Blade's potential. I am a product of their experiments, one of the unlucky ones tainted by their folly."

"Why would ancient people do that?" Tora said, Vaios bunching up his hand.

That idea was dredging up images in his mind again… ones that unsettled him, and brought an unpleasant pit into his stomach as he thought of them. He couldn't help but think a single idea: That it seemed humanity was always in some ways willing to push their ideas of creation and interference with things beyond a point of reason that dives into outright madness.

"It seems to be that by combining Blade and human, it is sometimes possible to create Blades with unique powers. But only very rarely. Most experiments were a failure, and I was one of them. I gained nothing at all, and lost my immortality to boot. I probably don't have much time left."

"Grandpa…" Iona murmured, and it made things a lot clearer why she would have gone along with Akhos and Malos… people who had a Blade that could manipulate ether flows, the girl must have thought they could have definitely had a way to if not save, then at least buy Cole more time.

"Before I go, I want to see where your path ends." Cole again pat Vaios on the shoulder, the youth appearing to be mulling over something. "So take that dagger, it'll aid you. Will you do this for me?"

"Of course, Minoth." Vaios gave a nod, gripping the dagger a bit tighter. Then he turned to Haze. "Haze, the ether flow through this part of Uraya is a little thin, right?"

"Quite a bit, actually… what are you proposing?" Haze asked, Vaios chuckling and turning back to Cole.

"I was just thinking… if you want to see how this ends, then you need to stick around long enough to see things to that end, right?" Vaios said, Cole blinking at him with a surprised look. "Haze can manipulate ether flows, in fact, she's also aimed more at Blades… so, Haze, think you can do it?"

"Well, how can I say no?" Haze said, pulling out her staff, closing her eyes as she lifted it up. "I just need to concentrate on adjusting the flow… the winds that pass through here and carry the ether… I can definitely adjust them to flow far better!"

Cole stared as Vaios lifted a hand to Haze, and as the boy's eyes pulsed brightly, the golden aura of high affinity rose between them, Haze lifting her staff up, pulses of wind beginning to move through the air. What otherwise would have been a normal healing Art suddenly seemed charged up to more than just that. The air around itself began to move a bit, and one could feel the rush of the wind pass by as if something within it's very flow had changed. Cole let out a sudden breath, looking at his hands and curling his fingers in surprise. It was only slight… yet now, something suddenly felt better than it had before.

"By the Architect… I'd almost forgotten about her… that Blade you have, Haze… she was Lora's!" Cole looked to Haze as she slumped a bit, Vaios helping support her. "When did you get your hands on her Crystal? I thought that…"

"I'd been holding onto her for some time." Azurda said. "Addam wasn't the only one who asked Vaios to look after their Blade if something happened to them. After all, Vaios and Lora were quite close you know."

"That they were." Cole said, Vaios raising a brow at both old men. "Well then… you'll want to be careful out there with her, Vaios. If Jin really is there… I don't know how he'll react to seeing Haze with you as well. But… I must thank you. It's not much, but, these old bones feel a tad more spry than they were a few seconds ago."

"It was as much as I could do." Haze said. "I'm not sure just how well it will work, but I was able to at least alter enough of the ether flow in the area that, for a while, more should come through this part of Uraya. It should at least give you more time."

"And that's all I could ask for."

"I've got one more thing I want to ask, actually." Vaios said, Cole looking to him without a word. "Could you maybe… write a play about Vandham? Someone like him… I think his story could do a lot to inspire people, give them motivation to do something, to make their own way with things, you know? So, once I find Elysium, I'll come back here, and you can show it to me, deal?"

"Hehehe… how can I say no to that? It's the least I can do. In exchange for that, you better tell me about how the rest of this journey goes… and when you remember the rest of everything about yourself, how about telling me the things you were being skittish about yeah? Make sure you get back here in one piece."

"You've got a deal." Vaios clapped a hand to Cole's, and the two shook on it. With some other goodbyes to Cole, Iona, and Vandham's seconds, the group headed off, their destination being the docks. "Oh yeah, here's a bonus I should mention about the ride Cole got us: Salvagers get free rides back to Argentum!"

"Man what _other_ benefits do you rascals get?" Nia asked with an amused huff, Vaios holding up a v-sign. "Well hey, a free ride ain't bad. So then everybody, how about we use the ride to rest up more eh?"

"No arguments about that." Vaios said, Tora cheering along with him, the others cheering along with them.

* * *

"Man it feels good to be back!" Vaios stretched his arms up as the party exited the ferry and onto the welcoming sight of the Argentum dockyard again, Vaios readily strolling ahead with a gleeful look on his face. Tora was looking around the place with a great amount of interest in everything around him, while Nia kept looking over the side of the docks with a bit of concern on her face, Pyra giving her a reassuring pat on the back, Haze looking around with an awe filled look as she stuck by Dromarch and Ursula.

And it wasn't long before a bunch of the Nopons at work took notice as Vaios waved at them, looking ecstatic to see him around.

"Vaios back!"

"Vaios come back alive!"

"Vaios have many side kicks now!"

"Quite the celebrity aren't ya?" Nia said with a wide smirk, Vaios chuckling as he rubbed his nose.

"Well I _have_ been trading here for quite some time. Now…" Vaios turned on his heel to the others, a hand on his waist. "I'll go and find us a ride to the Empire since heading there next is our best bet. You guys head to the inn and I'll meet you there once I've figured something out."

"Sounds good, see ya' around then." Nia said, waving the others forward as she took the lead, Vaios moving off the other way as he let out a hum.

"Let's see now… ships leaving for Mor Ardain depart from the flight deck… wonder if any are open right now. The sooner we can get to the Empire the better."

As he trotted off, Vaios greeted and occasionally chattered with some of the other Nopon and Salvagers he passed by, a bunch of them expressing being glad to see he was alright after the incident with that previous job… though as he was making his way up, a suddenly shocked voice caught his attention immediately.

"Vaios!" Vaios turned as he was on the stairs, his eyes going wide as Rex was sprinting up to meet him, the young boy half out of breath by the time he got up there. "Holy… you're actually back! Thank the bloody Architect for that! What the hell happened out there? Gramps suddenly up and vanished the night you left, and _then_ they said the _Maelstrom_ went down with no survivors! The place is in a helluva storm now that you're back!"

"Whoa whoa, okay Rex, slow down a bit!" Vaios said, clapping Rex on the shoulder, more statements coming around as others passed by them. "Look, I'm glad to see you. As for what happened, that is a _long,_ roughly two week or so, story… and as for Azurda, well…"

"Been a while Rex, I hope you're doing well." Azurda popped up from Vaios's hood, Rex staring at the now smaller than a housecat Titan with wide eyes that may as well have gone totally white. "Oh don't look so baleful, it's still me, even if now I'm this small."

"Is this some kind of joke?! Where's the real Gramps?! Is he outside and pulling some prank through this pet here?!"

"How rude can you be?!" Azurda hopped off and kicked Rex square on the forehead, the boy starting to fall back, Vaios catching Rex by the arm before he could go tumbling down the stairs, quickly pulling him back up to avoid an incident. "I know it's surprise, but it's honestly me! We'll explain what we can on the way up to the flight deck, alright?"

"Explain _what?"_ Rex said, Vaios sighing as he looked to the side with a stilted expression.

"As much as we can about how hectic these past couple of weeks have been."

* * *

"That is… something wild, that's for sure. Winding up a Driver and now running all across different Titans? Talk about getting caught up in something wild."

"Yeah, and it's probably not going to be slowing down for a while, since we're heading to Mor Ardain next."

Vaios pocketed the charter papers he'd gotten as he and Rex made their way down from the flight level of Argentum, the younger teen flinching at the mention of the Empire. Vaios hadn't told Rex _every_ detail about events, mostly things about the Aegis fiasco and Torna. Rex had definitely lamented the loss of both their home and ride with Azurda now being smaller, but had been making his way as it was without too much trouble with some of the Salvager crews, who were more than happy to employ someone with plenty of experience.

"The Empire? What's there that you've gotta head to a place on the edge of war?"

"Well not like Uraya was any different, though that was more of an accident than anything else." Vaios said, leaning on the rail of the loft area they'd stopped at. "And it's more where we're going from here… the Empire is just the next step in finding our way there more than anything. If we come across anything on the way, well, we'll just deal with it as it comes, not much else a person can do at times wouldn't ya' say?"

"Guess I can't say it's a bad way to be going about things." Rex hummed, looking across the way to the restaurant that fronted the inn, and gathered around one of the tables was the rest of the party, Rex giving a chuckle. "But hey, looks like you've got yourself a bunch of good mates to back ya'. A journey across Alrest eh? Heh, man am I jealous! And to think it was all because of one job request!"

"Heh, you could've been in my position if you'd gotten here first." Vaios mused, Rex chuckling as he waved a hand.

"Eh but I kinda like where I am now. These crew I work with have their own fun. But either way, Vasios, Gramps, take care of yourselves alright? I'll see you off tomorrow. And hey, who knows, if you find yourself in Leftheria any time soon, we may run into each other again!"

"Wait, you're heading home?" Vaios got a nod from Rex, the boy turning around.

"Might as well for a bit right? See how the others kids have been growing, all that. But, seeya tomorrow, I got some business to take care of before then!"

"Yeah, see you then." Vaios let out a hum as he waved Rex off, mulling over the thought for a moment before turning and heading to the restaurant, giving a call to the others as he approached the little gathering. "Alright everybody things are all good and set. We'll be heading out on the next ship to Mor Ardain tomorrow. So my recommendation is we use the rest of today to get some more rest in and stock up on whatever supplies we need."

"Tora want to see what other Nopon have as wares! Perhaps will find parts to improve Poppi with!"

"Poppi agree with Masterpon!"

"Well then how about I go with you? I know a lot of the folks around here, I'm sure they'll fetch us something fair." Vaios chuckled as he folded his arms, Nia giving a snicker as Tora and Poppi hopped off their seats.

"Don't go too crazy with it now. We don't need Poppi suddenly changing into something wild now." Nia said, Haze also getting up.

"I'll go with you both too. I want to see what all this place has. Oh, Pyra, do you want to go look with me?" Haze said, Pyra giving a small wave as she set down the cup of tea she had.

"I'll join up with you in a minute Haze. The tea here is quite good." Pyra gave an amused smile as she let out a satisfied breath, Azurda chuckling.

"There's things from all over Alrest to sample, and all of it of good quality. You like the place?" Azurda said, Pyra nodding. Nia, from her seat, merely went and gave a long stretch.

"Well I'm not much sure about you all, I'm just glad to be resting in a proper inn again after a long voyage. Uraya's was fine, but gotta hand it to the folks runnin' this place, they know how to let someone relax." Nia said, laying down on the table and downright purring.

"Being on familiar shores is always nice and good." Vaios said, teasingly tapping Nia's ears, the Gormotti swiping at his hand. "Now come on, let's get business done!"

* * *

The night had been nicely peaceful. The party, was the norm, split into rooms for the boys and the girls. Though, early riser he was, Vaios's clearing haze from sleep came with a bit of a surprise to him. Mainly because now he wasn't the bed's sole occupant.

For one reason or another, a sleeping Mythra was next to Vaios, with a grip on his right arm that as she shifted, nestled it right into the soft valley of her chest. Vaios let out small mutters as his face went a bit red while trying to process the situation.

Not that he got to think much before Mythra's eyes opened, half-lidded from drowsiness. She definitely looked a bit out of it, even drawing closer to Vaios during the quiet seconds… then Mythra's eyes went wide as she finally seemed to realize for herself what was going on.

"Uh… morning?" Vaios said, a small chuckle.

"AHHHHH!" Though Mythra just screamed as she sat upright and scrambled off the bed, Vaios nearly falling off himself from surprise at the sudden move. "You… how did… what are you doing in my bed?!"

"Ehhh?! _You're_ the one in my bed!" Vaios said, pointing to the rest of the room to prove the point.

But she didn't seem to be having it, as in another quiet moment, Mythra's face went red before she let out another yell. Mythra ran to the other end of the room, and grabbed whatever that was loose she could, Vaios yelping as he started having to deflect whatever random things Mythra started flinging at him.

"I can't freaking believe… you and Pyra went and… aggghh! Get out you damn perv!" Half of what Mythra was saying died down between her angry yelling, and it didn't do much to _not_ stop Tora, Dromarch, and Azurda from waking up. Tora quit unfortunately getting cleanly hit by a mug Vaios knocked aside.

"Whoops… sorry Tora!" Vaios then caught a book, giving a sigh as he looked at Mythra flatly. "Take stock of the room for a moment will you?!"

"Huh?" Mythra stopped her throwing long enough to actually do that, and when she saw she _was_ indeed in the room the boys had taken, she dropped the items she was holding and brought a hand to her face. "Ughh… I can't believe it. I did it again! Ugh, I am such an idiot!"

"Is this what they call sleepwalking?" Dromarch said as Mythra opened the door in a huff, Vaios sighing as he laid back down.

"This isn't the first time this has happened with her… somehow I know that." Vaios put a hand to his forehead as other fuzzy flashes came to mind. "Yeah, definitely had this happen before."

"You were staring." Mythra accord, Vaios sitting back up with an offended look again.

"You're the one who put my arm between those things in your sleep! And _maybe_ put more on sometimes and I won't look!"

"You just admitted you were!"

"Hard not to when it's in my face!"

"Ugh, pervert!" Mythra slapped the door and left with that, Vaios's eye twitching as his teeth started grating.

"That girl…" Vaios's fingers were just as twitchy as he hissed, Azurda giving an amused sigh.

"And _that_ would be a lover's quarrel." Azurda noted, Dromarch and Tora chuckling, all going silent when Vaios glared at them fast enough one could worry about whiplash being induced.

"Let's not talk about it." Vaios coldly said, the others rapidly nodding, not wanting to incur any more potential wrath.

* * *

Though following that, as the group convened in the restaurant again, since the ship to Mor Ardain still had some time before setting off, Vaios was a _bit_ cautious as he approached Pyra, who was enjoying some more of that tea she'd found a liking for the other day.

"Morning." Vaios said, coughing a bit as he sat down. "So uh… this morning…"

"I'm sorry about Mythra." Pyra said, clearly in on what had happened. "She just gets confused when she wakes up… and may or may not have also found out we uhm… did all of _that_ before we left Uraya."

"Yeah… figured that out." Vaios coughed into a hand again, also glaring at Nia as she gave the two of them a smarmy look.

"It didn't get violent, did it?"

"Uh… a bit." Vaios held up a couple of fingers, Pyra giving a sigh. "I mean it wasn't _that_ bad… just y'know, some random stuff got thrown around, Tora got a mug to the face… that was kind of my fault though."

"Well, it's a good thing he's tough. You're… not hurt anywhere though?" Pyra then took a moment to start looking Vaios over, and his face got red as she leaned up while checking.

"Totally fine! Not a scratch on me… please don't lean up like that." Vaios muttered, Pyra chuckling.

"It's cute you get embarrassed at times like this, you're so bold otherwise."

"Not in front of the others." Vaios said, Nia almost howling with laughter now, Haze keeping a hand over her mouth as she chuckled. "Anyway! The ship is leaving from the Goldmouth Harbor up on the fourth floor. The ship is leaving in a bit so we should get moving."

"Sounds like a plan." Nia said, swinging her legs out and stretching again.

"Ardainian Empire sound so grand! Tora cannot wait to see it!" Tora chimed in, Vaios giving a nod as they all moved to start making their way up.

"Never been there before myself, so it'll be something. Though I heard the place has become pretty arid due to how old Mor Ardain is for a Titan." Vaios pulled out a book from his belt as he spoke, one with all kinds of tabs and notes on it. "But that age produces a lot of heat, and it's how the Empire has been able to make all of their steamworks based technology."

"Huh, wonder if they could make that work without Titans." Tora said, giving a hum. "Perhaps if Mor Ardain had Ether Furnaces like Poppi does! Not that it any ordinary Ether Furnace!"

"Don't go getting too into your engineering bubble now you two. Perhaps save it for the ride." Nia said, her arms behind her head, then shading her eyes as they strolled out onto the deck of the port. "Egh, pretty darn bright today i'n it?"

"Ah but the wind also feels so nice. The voyage will be great, I'm sure of it." Haze remarked, Nia shrugging again.

"Heyy! Don't go forgettin' about me!" Vaios turned around as Rex's voice carried over, the others stopping a bit of a ways ahead as Rex caught up. "I said I'd see you off, so don't go leaving before I can!"

"Hehe, I was wondering when you'd show up." Vaios said, he and Rex clapping hands together. "Good luck with whatever crew you find for yourself, Rex."

"You too Vaios. Gramps, same to you. Keep Vaios out of trouble yeah?"

"I'll certainly try my best. Though thankfully we've got plenty of others to help out with that." Azurda looked off to the rest of the party, Rex giving a chuckle.

"Oh!" Vaios then reached into his pouch as he got an idea, Rex tilting his head, then blinking when Vaios produced a Core Crystal, particularly, the one that was Roc's, which he'd had with him since they left Uraya. "Here, I think you should take this with you."

"A Core Crystal… naw, I can't! Those things are rare, and I mean, you're already a Driver! You'd get way more use out of it than me. Heck, I don't even know if I can resonate." Rex waved his hands, Vaios rolling his eyes and putting the Crystal into Rex's hand by force.

"I'm not saying you _have_ to resonate with it. You're free to try if you want to take the chance but… consider it a good luck charm. The Blade in here is a good one, I can tell you that much." Vaios's face as he spoke made things clear to anyone who could see it, the tinge of sadness in his eyes at thinking about Vandham.

"Alright." Rex didn't need anything else to nod in acceptance, tapping the back of Vaios's hand as he gripped the Crystal tight. "I'll be sure to keep a good eye on it. And hey if things work out, you may just be hearing stories about a fine new Driver!"

"Heheh, don't get cocky about it if you do." Vaios held out a fist, Rex tapping his too it. "Besides, a Salvager is always a Salvager. Next time, let's both show off some new treasures we're able to find."

"Hehe, bet on it!" Rex then looked to the others, giving a wave. "Hey all of you! Take good care of this lunk will ya? Guy's practically my brother, so it'd be real great!"

"Will be sure to do that!" Tora waved with his wings, the others nodding along.

"Alright then. Well then Rex, seeya next time, maybe in Leftheria if luck brings us that way."

"Yeah. Whichever way the Cloud Seas currents take us."

The two bumped fists again before turning off, Vaios giving one more wave as Rex turned while trotting off back into the inner areas of Goldmouth. The paths were separate, but a moment for two to cross again brought some hope around to Vaios again, a reminder of the potential the world had to go on.

* * *

And after a long voyage from the titan airship, Mor Ardain came into sight for the party from the cabin they'd nested up in for the trip.

The only Titan to be bipedal in nature, Mor Ardain stood tall over the Cloud Sea below it, billows of steam pouring from the cities that marked it's structure, it's height meaning most of the visible towns, and especially the capital city of Hardheigh, stood prominent across the wider structure of Mor Ardain's torso and shoulders, with vast arrays of metal and older constructions now left abandoned strewn about the body.

Dust from the arid lands of the aging Titan also drifted off due to the blowing winds, wastes that too were dotted by structures of imposing metal and the lines of transport cars and the like.

Mor Ardain was known as one of the most advanced kingdoms in Alrest for a reason, and this sight was only proof of the technological might that they held.

"Whoaaa!" Tora voiced, Vaios staring out from the window and too the path beyond.

"Hugo…" Vaios murmured the name quietly, one that came to mind all of a sudden like so many other things that did, Vaios giving a sigh, Pyra putting a hand on his shoulder as he notably tensed up. "Well, if this is where things lead, then I'm ready… whatever else I may learn, I'm ready for it."


End file.
